Running social skills groups can be tricky—especially when you’re balancing different student needs, group sizes, and settings. In this episode, we unpack how to structure and differentiate social skills groups for learners at every level—whether you’re in a school, clinic, or classroom. From dyads to full-blown community outings, we’re breaking down what works (and what really doesn’t).

👥 Whether you're supporting early learners or advanced social thinkers, you'll walk away with practical strategies, game ideas, and real-talk about flexibility, planning, and data collection.

🗝️ Key Takeaways
      • 3 Types of Social Groups: Understand the difference between social behavior groups, early dyads, and advanced cognition groups—and when to use each.
      • Who Goes Where? Learn how to match learners thoughtfully (and realistically) in group settings.
      • Structure Matters: Tips for creating predictable routines and flexible lesson plans that work in both schools and clinics.
      • Simple Game Ideas: From UNO to Play-Doh, get low-prep group game ideas for every skill level.
      • Realistic Data Collection: How to track goals without losing your mind—or the moment.

🧰 Resources & Links
      🎯 Free Group visuals, lesson plans, and data AND Group Data Sheet Template
      🧠 Episode Mention: Michelle Garcia Winner – Social Thinking®
      🧩 Related Episode: Reverse Inclusion (Ep. 46) and Naturalistic Teaching (Ep. 5)
      💥 Beat the Teacher Game: Shop It Here
      📥 Grab our Favorite Low-Prep Group Games! Add to the list in our Facebook community:
            • Pop! the Pig
            • Pop-up Pirate
            • Don't Break the Ice
            • Animal Ring Toss
            • Kerplunk
            • Uno
            • Qwirkle
            • Blokus

🤝 Join Us
      💬 Let us know your favorite low-prep group activity in the Misfit Behaviors Facebook Group
      🌟 Subscribe: Don’t miss upcoming episodes on practical strategies and must-have resources for behavior support!
      📢 Share this episode with a teacher, BCBA, or administrator looking for fresh approaches to special education and behavior analysis!
      💬 Let us know how YOU connect with staff in our Facebook group  @TheMisfitBehaviorists
      📚

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

In this quick episode, Caitlin shares how to redirect student behavior without power struggles, using subtle, positive phrasing that preserves dignity and prevents escalation. Learn how to guide students clearly—without ever saying “No!”

💡 Key Takeaways
🔄 Redirection doesn’t need to be confrontational
💬 Use clear, positive language to say what to do instead
🧠 Build habits with consistent, gentle phrasing
🤝 Preserve student dignity and avoid resistance
✨ Try phrases like “Use a calm voice” or “Try again with walking feet”

📚 Resources & Visuals
🎧 Other episodes you’ll love:
🔗 Ep. 3: 6 Ways to Approach Challenging Behaviors and Trauma-Informed Care https://abainschool.com/ep3
🔗 Ep. 29: Functions of Behavior: The WHY more than the WHAT https://abainschool.com/Ep29
🧾 Misfit Behavior Strategy Calendar: 52 weekly staff tips! https://abainschool.com/behaviorcalendar
🎨 Visuals for Calm Communication https://abainschool.com/an1j

🙌 Join Us & Share
📱 Follow us on Instagram @MisfitBehaviorists for quick, practical tips
💬 Join the conversation in our Facebook group for extra resources https://abainschool.com/misfits
🎧 Subscribe to catch all our behavior strategy drops
👯‍♀️ Share this episode with a teammate who rocks redirection!

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

🎙 Join Caitlin and guest Michelle Morris, an experienced self-contained classroom teacher, as they unpack real talk for new special ed teachers. From unexpected chaos to building strong staff dynamics, Michelle shares the five things she wishes she knew starting out—plus how to lean into your team and your strengths without losing your mind.

💡 Whether you're brand-new or deep in the trenches, this episode will leave you feeling seen, supported, and ready to pivot with grace.

🔑 Key Takeaways
🌀 Be flexible—plans change, behaviors erupt, and that’s okay
🙅 Don’t take things personally—from students or staff
🤝 Use your resources—you're not expected to do it all alone
✨ Play to your strengths (and your team’s!)
🧘‍♀️ Take breaks when you need them—it’s not weakness, it’s wisdom

📚 Resources and Ideas
🎧 Other episodes you’ll love:
🔗 Ep. 47: Managing Paras
🔗 Ep. 30: Supervising RBTs and Paras
🔗 Misfit Minute #5: Best Clipboards for data collection

Join Us...
🎙 Next Episode: Redirection Misfit Minute
🌟 Subscribe: Don’t miss upcoming episodes on practical strategies and must-have resources for behavior support!
📢 Share this episode with a teacher, BCBA, or administrator looking for fresh approaches to special education and behavior analysis!
💬 Let us know how YOU connect with staff in our Facebook group  @TheMisfitBehaviorists
📚 Connect: Follow us for more tips, tools, and discussions about all things behavior and education.  

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

In this short and practical episode, we explore the power of pre-correcting behavior—a quick strategy to set students up for success before a problem even starts. You’ll learn how to spot patterns, cue expectations in the moment, and reinforce positive behavior with intention.

💡 Key Takeaways
🔍 Know the behavior patterns—when and where issues usually occur
🗣️ Use quick verbal cues right before problem moments
🎯 Reinforce success immediately with specific praise and rewards
📋 Pre-correction is easier than correction—set students up to shine
🎒 Keep visual cues on a lanyard or clipboard for fast, effective reminders

📚 Resources & Visuals
🎨 Lanyard Pre-Correction Visuals (rhyme + statement versions in color/B&W)
🖍️ Student Coloring Pages for Each Routine (included in the visuals)
📏 Line-Up Behavior Chant Visual – “1, 2, eyes on you…”

🙌 Join Us & Share
💬 Join the Facebook group for free downloads and behind-the-scenes discussions
🎧 Subscribe so you don’t miss a weekly strategy drop
👯‍♀️ Share this episode with a fellow teacher or behaviorist who needs an easy win!

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

This episode started as a quick Misfit Minute—but it turned into a deep dive, so we made it a full one. Inspired by that iconic Big Bang Theory clip with Sheldon and the chocolates, we break down a question behavior folks love to debate:

👉 Is it positive reinforcement... or positive punishment?

We walk through a simple way to understand the four terms:
Positive/Negative Reinforcement and Positive/Negative Punishment
…without getting stuck in jargon, so you can apply it in real situations, not just pass a test.

🔑 Key Takeaways
✅ Behavior terms like “positive” and “negative” aren’t value judgments—they describe what’s added or removed
✅ You must define the target behavior first before labeling an intervention
✅ Positive reinforcement = behavior increases + something added
✅ Negative reinforcement = behavior increases + something removed
✅ Positive punishment = behavior decreases + something added
✅ Negative punishment = behavior decreases + something removed
✅ Yes, the Sheldon chocolate clip is still relevant—and worth discussing

📚 Resources and Ideas
📌 Download the flow chart from the episode
🧩 Use it for quick reference in team meetings, FBAs, or your BCBA exam prep
🖼️ Join the conversation in our Facebook group to share your interpretation of the Sheldon example!

📌 Related Episodes:
– Ep. 18: Behavior Management Basics
– Ep. 45: Must-Read Behavior Books for Teachers and BCBAs

Join Us...
🌟 Subscribe: Don’t miss upcoming episodes on practical strategies and must-have resources for behavior support!
📢 Share this episode with a teacher, BCBA, or administrator looking for fresh approaches to special education and behavior analysis!
📚 Connect: Follow us for more tips, tools, and discussions about all things behavior and education.  

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

In this bite-sized episode, we dive into a powerful mindset shift: don’t just teach the rule—teach the replacement behavior. Saying “don’t do that” isn’t enough. Real behavior change happens when we teach students exactly what to do instead.

💡 Key Takeaways:
🚫 Saying “don’t do that” doesn’t teach a skill—replacement behaviors do
🔁 Replacement behaviors aren’t add-ons—they are the behavior plan
🧩 Prompting, modeling, and reinforcing appropriate actions is essential
❓ Before correcting behavior, ask: “Have I taught what I want to see instead?”
🌱 Teaching new behaviors is about building skills, not just managing disruption

📚 Resources & Inspiration
🔗 Tantrums to Transformation: Positive Behavioral Support to Address Challenging Behaviors
🔗 Episode 12 Managing Problem Behaviors Through Replacement Skills
🔗 Episode 55 How to Reinforce Replacement Behaviors and Respond to Problem Behavior
📌 Follow us on Instagram @MisfitBehaviorists for daily tips and visuals and especially join us on Facebook where we house all the freebies!
🎧 Subscribe so you never miss your weekly quick win and share this with someone you care about!

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Part 13 (the last step) of the FBA Mini-Series!

You’ve got the plan… now let’s make sure it actually works. In this final episode of our FBA Mini-Series, Audra and Sami walk you through how to track behavior data, define roles, build fidelity, and make sure your BIP stays meaningful. This is the wrap-up you didn’t know you needed, filled with practical ways to follow through on everything you’ve created!

🔑 Key Takeaways
🧠 Track what matters – Collect data on both the target and replacement behaviors
📈 Keep it doable – Simple, regular data is better than complex forms no one uses
🧍‍♀️ Assign clear roles – Know who is collecting what, when, and how
🔍 Check fidelity – Use plan-specific and general fidelity checklists to stay on track
💬 Share updates – Include teachers and families in celebrations and progress
🎯 Define mastery – Know when the plan has “worked” and what comes next
♻️ Keep it alive – BIPs should be living documents that evolve with the student

📚 Resources and Ideas
📌 Free Download: Fidelity Checklist Template
📌 Related Episodes:
– Ep. 54: Creating the Behavior Plan – Part 10
– Ep. 12: Managing Problem Behaviors Through Replacement Skills

Join Us...
🎙 Next Episode: Behavior Responses (positive/negative reinforcement/punishment) Made Clear!
🌟 Subscribe: Don’t miss upcoming episodes on practical strategies and must-have resources for behavior support!
📢 Share this episode with a teacher, BCBA, or administrator looking for fresh approaches to special education and behavior analysis!
💬 Let us know if you use a Fidelity Checklist in your BIPs in our Facebook group  @TheMisfitBehaviorists
📚 Connect: Follow us for more tips, tools, and discussions about all things behavior and education.  

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

💡 Key Takeaways:
🖊️ Use a dual-sided clipboard with a whiteboard front and chalkboard back for both data and student visuals
🎯 Turn the chalkboard side into a Velcro token board or quick-reinforcer tracker
🧵 Small quarter-sheet clipboards are perfect for mini data sheets and can be worn on lanyards or fit in your pocket
💼 Clipboards aren't just for paper—they’re flexible tools that can help paraprofessionals stay organized and responsive
🙌 Use these tools to make reciprocal visuals, portable schedules, or motivation systems for students on the move

📚 Resources Mentioned:
🔗 Whiteboard/Chalkboard Clipboard
🔗 Standard small clipboards 6x9
🔗 Mini-small color clipboards 4.7x7.3
🔗 Mini-small black clipboards 4x6

📚 Resources & Inspiration
📝 Want to go deeper? Listen to Ep.18: Behavior Management Basics or Ep. 2: 2 Ways to Hack Your Data Collection
📌 Follow us on Instagram @MisfitBehaviorists for daily tips and visuals and especially join us on Facebook where we house all the freebies!
🎧 Subscribe so you never miss your weekly quick win and share this with someone you care about!

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

🤝 Join Caitlin and Audra as they dive into the crucial topic of fostering strong working relationships between school-based BCBAs and teachers! Learn from their real-world experiences – both successes and challenges – in building mutual respect and understanding for the benefit of students.

💡 It's all about teamwork! Discover how to move beyond potential roadblocks and create effective partnerships.

🔑 Key Takeaways
✅ Lead with trust—respect teachers’ expertise, time, and lived experience
🧠 Use teacher-friendly language and avoid behavior jargon (save “DRO” for later)
🎯 Ask open-ended questions to understand their struggles before jumping to solutions
💡 Use simple tools like “What’s Working / Not Working” to frame tough conversations
🧍 Mirroring emotions and validating teachers’ experiences builds connection
📉 Even if you don’t become best friends, aim for collaboration over compliance
🪄 Pro tip: Genuine praise in front of others goes a long way in building rapport

📚 Resources and Ideas
🎧 Previous Relevant Episodes:
🔗 Episode 3: 6 Ways to Approach Challenging Behaviors and Trauma-Informed Care
🔗 Episode 10: Navigating Difficult Conversations with ABA Staff

📖 Book Recommendations:
🔗 Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It by Chris Voss  - Discussed for its insights on communication and building understanding.
🔗 Let Them by Mel Robbins

📝 Freebie:
💡 Caitlin's "What's Working/What's Not Working" visual for facilitating positive meeting starts

Join Us...
🎙 Next Episode: Part 13 of the FBA mini-series, MASTERY!
🌟 Subscribe: Don’t miss upcoming episodes on practical strategies and must-have resources for behavior support!
📢 Share this episode with a teacher, BCBA, or administrator looking for fresh approaches to special education and behavior analysis!
💬 Let us know how YOU connect with staff in our Facebook group  @TheMisfitBehaviorists
📚 Connect: Follow us for more tips, tools, and discussions about all things behavior and education.  

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

🎙️ Misfit Minute #4: POWER Up Your Praise – Praising What You Want Repeated

Tired of generic praise that doesn't seem to stick? Caitlin highlights the power of behavior-specific praise – telling students exactly what they did well. Learn why focusing your positive attention can cultivate the behaviors you want to see and shift the tone of your classroom.

💡 Behavior grows where attention flows. Let's make sure it's flowing towards the positive!

🔑 Key Takeaways
✅ Be Behavior-Specific: Move beyond "good job" to praise like "Thanks for using a quiet voice" or "I noticed you cleaned up right away."
✅ Attention Flows Where Behavior Grows: If we only focus on what's wrong, that's what we'll keep seeing.
✅ Targeted Praise Matters: While some students might not need constant praise, those still learning expectations definitely do.
✅ Aim for the 4:1 Ratio: Strive for four positive comments for every correction to build confidence.
✅ Start Small, See Big Shifts: Catch one student doing something right and call it out – it can change the whole classroom dynamic.


📚 Resources & Inspiration
📝 Want to go deeper? Listen to Episode 28: Building Relationships with Students for more ideas! 
📌 Follow us on Instagram @MisfitBehaviorists for daily tips and visuals and especially join us on Facebook where we house all the freebies!
🎧 Subscribe so you never miss your weekly quick win and share this with someone you care about!

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists

😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

• Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
• Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists
• YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

• Audra | ABA in School
• Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics
• Sami | B.A.S.S.

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!