The PodCASP: Autism and ABA Discussions

Leland Vittert is a TV journalist and author of "Born Lucky," the story of his personal journey with autism.

Without formal training, Leland's father used many of the principles of applied behavior analysis (ABA) to help his son reach his potential as an adult.

Leland discusses growing up with autism, the deep love he shares with his father, and what led him to a career in journalism.

Click here to learn more about "Born Lucky."

Shelly Huhtanen has spent her life fighting for her son with profound autism. She fought for a diagnosis, to have his value and dignity affirmed, and to access applied behavior analysis (ABA) to help him reach his potential.

Listen to her emotional story—an inspiring reminder of the life-changing impact of autism services.

Dr. Steven Anderson join the show to discuss financial management and accounting for ABA Providers. Dr. Anderson retired as CEO of Summit Center in 2023.

CASP CEO Lorri Unumb joins the show! She discusses CASP's 10th Anniversary, including its pre-incorporation days when it was just a conference, growing out of a conversation in a bar.

She and Empower ABA CEO Natesh Kumar also discuss an exciting industry benchmarking initiative to help autism service providers make more strategic decisions for their businesses.

Lorri also previews the 2026 CASP Conference. Limited in-person tickets are still available. You can also attend virtually.

Click here to register for the conference.

Nicholas Liu was diagnosed with autism at a young age. He received applied behavior analysis (ABA) throughout his childhood. Today, at age 29, he's a highly successful journalist.

What was his ABA experience like? As a person with autism, how has he adapted to--and thrived in--a society built around the needs and proclivities of neurotypical people?

In this fascinating discussion, Nicholas reflects on learning which actions were "cool" and "not cool"; how ABA helped him broaden his horizons; and the modern world's tension between efficiency and empathy.

Nicholas will appear on an upcoming episode of History Channel's UnXplained with William Shatner. He discusses the historical origins of the video game "Assassin's Creed."

Follow him on X, Bluesky, and Substack.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving. It's increasingly being integrated into administrative and clinical activities involved in delivering Applied Behavior Analysis.

However, AI use has outpaced the development of laws, regulations, and guidelines intended to safeguard their use in healthcare.

Rebecca Womack joins the show to discuss CASP's "Practice Parameters for the Ethical Use of Artificial Intelligence in ABA," which provide guidance on payer, regulatory, and ethical matters as well as organizational oversight of AI.

Click here to read CASP's AI guidelines.

This episode of the PodCASP is sponsored by Apploi.

The Office of the Inspector General is increasingly focusing on Medicaid-funded ABA. In 2023, it released a national evaluation highlighting systemic risks for programs across the country.

Over the past year, OIG has completed state audits of Indiana and Wisconsin, finding $56 million and $18 million in improper payments, respectively.

CASP VP of Government Affairs Mariel Fernandez joins the show to share what you need to know about OIG reports.

This episode of the PodCASP is brought to you by Collectly.

The team from Axis Therapy Centers joins The PodCASP to discuss how ABA, speech therapy, and occupational therapy complement one another to create better outcomes for clients.

Axis CEO Kristin Hanson, occupational therapist Kelsie Leshen, and Speech-Language Pathology Supervisor Casey Smith also discuss tensions between ABA and other disciplines, as well as how to ensure cooperation among practitioners.

This episode is sponsored by Atlas Medical Data Group. Learn more at atlasmedicaldatagroup.com.

Richard Powers—partner at Kressin Powers and a former DOJ official—joins the PodCASP to discuss antitrust law and what autism service providers can and can't do. He discusses data sharing, industry benchmarking, and the latest legal and regulatory developments.

This episode of the PodCASP is sponsored by Amego. Learn more at AmegoInc.org.

Paige Raetz from Proof Positive joins the PodCASP to discuss strategies to improve wellbeing for employees of autism service provider organizations. She talks about measuring wellbeing and taking meaningful actions, not just buying pizza once in a while.

Learn more:

• Character Strengths and the VIA:  https://www.viacharacter.org⁠.
• Proof Positive Autism Wellbeing Alliance: https://proofpoitive.org.