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.

In STEPPS Executive Director and CASP Board Member Yvonne Bruinsma joins the PodCASP to discuss the 2025 CASP Conference. She explains how the conferences facilitates strong, lasting relationships; this year's featured sessions on AI ethics and antitrust law; and what goes into putting on a conference of this scope.

On this episode, the PodCASP team sits down with Dr. Darren Sush, PsyD, BCBA-D, Head of Autism and Psychology at Cigna Evernorth, for an insightful conversation about the field of applied behavior analysis (ABA). Darren shares his journey from traditional psychology to autism services and talks about his current role overseeing peer reviews. We dive into topics like value-based care, challenges in training and retaining RBTs, the importance of data-driven care, and the ethical considerations surrounding peer reviews.

The PodCASP is proudly hosted by The Council of Autism Services Providers.

In this episode, Dr. Heather O'Shea, PhD., BCBA-D and Rebecca Womack, M.S., BCBA, LBA discuss CASP's new session note templates. They explain how the templates were developed, how they're designed to align with AMA requirements while supporting medical necessity, and clinicians' role in maintaining high standards.

CASP has made the templates available for free, encouraging broad adoption to increase the quality of ABA services. For more information, members and providers are encouraged to join the Documentation Special Interest Group or visit CASP's website (links below). 

CASP Session Note Templates

For comments and inquiries about the templates, email [email protected]. 

The PodCASP is proudly hosted by The Council of Autism Service Providers.

Erick joins The PodCASP to give updates on ACQ and recent developments!

https://autismcommission.org/