The World Behavior Analysis Day Podcast

Join us as we dive into these topics with Helen Oshikoya, exploring the transformative power of behavior analysis and its capacity to improve lives across the globe.


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Join us this week as we sit down with the eminent Dr. SungWoo Kahng, a leader in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Wearing multiple hats, from being the Behavior Analyst Certification Board President to his roles at Rutgers University as Chair of the Department of Applied Psychology, Director of Academic Programs in Autism and ABA, and Professor, Dr. Kahng offers invaluable insights from his years of experience. We delve deep into the essence of mentoring, its pivotal role in shaping upcoming professionals, and the pressing need for diversity and equity in ABA. But that's not all - we also discuss current trends and challenges in our profession, actionable steps to take, and explore his vision for the future of the field. 

Whether you're a seasoned professional or a newbie in the world of ABA, this episode promises a wealth of knowledge, perspective, and inspiration. Don't miss it!

Show Notes/Links:

Articles on the lack of representation of Asian Americans in leadership positions:

• Asian Americans Are the Least Likely Group in the U.S. to Be Promoted to Management
• Asian American and Pacific Islander Faculty and the Bamboo Ceiling: Barriers to Leadership and Implications for Leadership Development

Several, but certainly not an exhaustive, listing of articles on increasing cultural diversity and cultural responsiveness within behavior analysis:

• Beaulieu, L., Addington, J., & Almeida, D. (2019). Behavior analysts' training and practices regarding cultural diversity: The case for culturally competent care. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(3), 557-575.
• Conners, B., Johnson, A., Duarte, J., Murriky, R., & Marks, K. (2019). Future directions of training and fieldwork in diversity issues in applied behavior analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12, 767-776.
• Fong, E. H., Catagnus, R. M., Brodhead, M. T., Quigley, S., & Field, S. (2016). Developing the cultural awareness skills of behavior analysts. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 9(1), 84-94.
• Jimenez‐Gomez, C., & Beaulieu, L. (2022). Cultural responsiveness in applied behavior analysis: Research and practice. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 55(3), 650-673.

Articles on Mentoring and Influences in behavior analysis:

• LeBlanc, L. A. (2015). My mentors and their influences on my career. The Behavior Analyst, 38(2), 237-245.
• Favell, J. E. (2015). A career in behavior analysis: Notes from the journey. The Behavior Analyst, 38(2), 229-236
• Pétursdóttir, A. I. (2015). Influences on my early academic career. The Behavior Analyst, 38, 255-262..

Donate to World Behavior Analysis Day: https://behavioranalysisday.com/donate-to-wbada

World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance, LLC. (WBADA) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization, established March 19, 2021. The World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance is the hub that promotes an international inclusive celebration of the science of behavior analysis and sparks growth in its awareness, acceptance, and use. During the weeklong celebration of behavior analysis, beginning March 14th and culminating on March 20th, behavior analysis is recognized worldwide.

The date, March 20th, was selected for World Behavior Analysis Day because it is the birthdate of B.F. Skinner, the founder of contemporary behavior analysis. Skinner's radical research on behaviorism laid the groundwork for applied behavior analysis. With the growth of the discipline, behavior analysis now has a strong field with theoretical, experimental, and applied branches and distinct research methods. This field has scientific journals, textbooks, scholarly and professional organizations, and university training programs.

In this interview, we learn about the inception, mission, and vision for the future of the World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance (WBADA) from its President, Elizabeth Drago. Elizabeth shares her ABA story, diverse background in the field, and exciting committees within WBADA, providing a platform for educating others about this burgeoning field. In addition, she offers ideas on how others can participate in the weeklong celebration, providing resources to get in touch with WBADA to join in efforts to disseminate science worldwide.

This World Behavior Analysis Day, let us recognize all the behavior analysts who commit themselves to improving the human condition one behavior at a time.

Show Notes/Links:

World Behavior Analysis Day Website:https://behavioranalysisday.com/

World Behavior Analysis Day Contact: https://behavioranalysisday.com/contact

World Behavior Analysis Day Ambassadors: https://behavioranalysisday.com/wbada-ambassadors

World Behavior Analysis Day YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@worldbehavioranalysisday5293

World Behavior Analysis Day Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/behaviorday/

World Behavior Analysis Day Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/WorldBehaviorAnalysisDay

Donate to World Behavior Analysis Day: https://behavioranalysisday.com/donate-to-wbada

Behavior analysts' jobs focus on improving lives through the science of behavior. Similarly, there is a responsibility to disseminate behavior analysis by making information about the science more accessible and engaging. However, it is often challenging to effectively translate our procedures and technical language into our unique communities to inspire and motivate change.

During this interview, accomplished authors and professors Jill C. Dardig and William L. Heward discuss their lives' work across the world and their pursuits in doing just that.  

Episode Description:

In this episode, we discuss their entry into the field of Behavior Analysis and Special Education, their thoughts on effective programming for individuals with disabilities, and their motivation to write their first book together titled, Sign Here: A Contracting Book for Children and their Parents. They share the success of its distribution and translation into multiple languages across the globe and discuss the need to provide an updated, inclusive version of the book today: Let's Make a Contract: a Positive Way to Change your Child's Behavior. 

In Let's Make a Contract, parents learn a research-based practice, behavioral contracting, that is easy to use and benefits all learners. The authors provide beautifully illustrated stories to show children how contracts address everyday challenges like completing chores, achieving goals, getting along, and becoming more independent. Each story ends with questions designed to spark age-appropriate discussion. The book and accompanying website provide sample contracting forms and supporting materials that can be found below. 

Show Notes

Let’s Make a Contract: A Positive Way to Change Your Child’s Behavior

• Companion website: https://contractingwithkids.com
• Review in Behavior Analysis in Practice “Parents will look at this book and think, ‘I would like to read that’.”  https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40617-022-00723-7
• Review in Science in Autism Treatment “Dardig and Heward’s engaging storytelling highlights the numerous ways in which contracting can be used to create positive behavior change.” https://asatonline.org/research-treatment/book-reviews/review-of-lets-make-a-contract/

Caregivers

• Dardig, J. C. (2008). Involving Parents of Students with Special Needs: 25 Ready-to-Use Strategies. Corwin Press. https://us.corwin.com/en-us/nam/book/involving-parents-students-special-needs
• Heward, W. L. (2012). It’s OK to say I don’t know. Science in Autism Treatment, 9(4), 1-3. 
• Heward, W. L., Alber-Morgan, S. R., & Konrad, M. (2022). Ten Guidelines for Communicating with Parents. In Exceptional Children: An Introduction to Special Education (12th ed.) (p. 90). Pearson. 

 Educators 

• Dardig, J.C.  (1995).  I'd been doing it wrong for so long it looked like right to me: Using case method to teach introduction to ABA. The Behavior Analyst, 18(1), 161-166.  https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392702  
• Heward, W. L., Critchfield, T. S., Reed, D. D.,  Detrich, R., & Kimball, J. W. (2022).  ABA from A-to-Z: Behavior science applied to 350 domains of socially significant behavior. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 45, 327-359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-022-00336-z. 

Are you interested in the science of behavior change to make the world a better place? Tune into our inaugural World Behavior Analysis Day Podcast and listen to Dr. Julie Vargas share her insight and anecdotes about her life, work, and father B.F. Skinner. 

Dr. Julie Vargas is an American author, educator, and behavior analyst. She is the oldest child of B. F. and Eve Skinner. In addition to her bachelor's degree in music from Radcliffe College, she holds a master's degree in music education from Columbia University, as well as a doctorate in educational research from the University of Pittsburgh. 

Her teaching career at West Virginia University spanned more than 30 years in the College of Human Resources and Education. Dr. Vargas was a founding editor of The Behavior Analyst and a former president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International. She is president of the B. F. Skinner Foundation, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and has written or co-authored four books, including Behavior Analysis for Effective Teaching, released in 2009. 

During this episode, Dr. Vargas graciously shares her experiences as a teacher, researcher, and behavior analyst, as well as her efforts to continue her father's work, the renowned behavioral scientist B.F. Skinner, through the B.F. Skinner Foundation.

We are honored to have such a distinguished scholar share her insights with our listeners!

Show Note Links:
Skinner Foundation
Behavior Analysis for Effective Teaching Text
The Shame of American Education Article
The Shame of American Education Video
Morningside Academy Podcast
Precision Teaching: Discoveries and Effects
Training Cats Anecdote by Deborah Buzan
B.F. Skinner: The Last Few Days
B.F. Skinner Books