ABA Inside Track – Details, episodes & analysis

Despite strong evidence as to the efficacy of ABA services in supporting meaningful outcomes of clients across a number of relevant dimensions, do we actually know if the ABA service industry is actually any good? This week we dive into the paucity of research on measuring and developing quality ABA services and discuss whether the business of ABA is anywhere near as good as the science of ABA at solving meaningful problems. Hot take: It's probably not!

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Patrons, don't forget to get your code for a free CE for listening to this episode.

Articles discussed this episode:

Behavior Analyst Certification Board. (2024). US employment demand for behavior analysts: 2010–2023. Littleton, CO: Author.

Max, C. & Lambright, N. (2022). Board certified behavior analysts and school fidelity of applied behavior analysis services: Qualitative findings. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 68, 913-923. doi: 10.100/20473869.2021.1926854

Silbaugh, B.C. & Fattal, R.E. (2022). Exploring quality in the applied behavior analysis service delivery industry. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 571-590. doi: 10.1007/s40617-021-00627-y

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

We just wanna say to you all tonight, we're very, very grateful to be here. A lot of people told us that we'd never podcast about behavior analysis again and that's all we do.

You know, if you live hard and play hard and you burn the candle at both ends, you pay the price for it.

You know in this life you can lose everything that you love, everything that loves you."

Now we don't hear as good as we used to, and we forget stuff. And we ain't as pretty as we used to be. But darn it, we're still standing here and we're "ABA Inside Track."

You know as time goes by -- as time goes by, they say:

"We're washed up."

"We're finished."

"We're losers."

"We're all through."

You know what? The only one that's going to tell us when we're through doing our thing is you people here.

You people here -- You people here are the ones who are worth bringing it for because you're our family.

We love all of you!

Thank you so much!

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Vargo, K. & Brown, C. (2020). An evaluation of and preference for variations of the Good Behavior Game with students with autism. Behavioral Interventions, 35, 560-570. doi: 10.1002/bin.1740

Kemp, J. M., Ethridge, A. N., Richling, S. M., Drummond, C. Z., & Soto, J. A. (2024). Is "M&M therapy" a misnomer or a concerning truth? A descriptive analysis of the use of edible reinforcers in applied behavior analytic research. Behavioral Interventions, 39, online first publication. doi: 10.1002/bin.2005

Price, R. A., Martin Loya, M. R., Folkerts, R., & Haidar, B. S. (2024). The ethical landscape of behavior analysis forums on Reddit. Behavior Analysis in Practice, online first publication. doi: 10.1007/s40617-024-00921-5

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

As a continuation of our ongoing review of neurodiversity in society and in the practice of ABA, we decided to make space for less talking and more listening. In this episode we're joined by a special guest panel made up of neurodivergent behavior analysts including returning guest, Brian Middleton, and new guests, Alex Astrella and Michelle LaFrance to discuss their insights on the field, what's going right, and what's going wrong.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Resources discussed this episode:

Neuroqueer Heresies by Nick Walker

Unmasking Autism by Dr. Devon Price

Prosocial by Dr. Paul Atkins, Dr. David Wilson, and Dr. Steven Hayes

Veneziano, J., & Shea, S. (2022). They have a voice; are we listening? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 127-144. doi: 10.1007/s40617-022-00690-z

The Functional Contextualist Newsletter

Middleton, B. & Mingo, S. (2024, March 31). Beyond the divide: Understanding and addressing the root concerns behind #ABAisabuse. The Functional Contextualist. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/beyond-divide-understanding-addressing-root-concerns-bmkuc/?trackingId=9WIRODFWRluHW%2BzNHZlYmw%3D%3D

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

We all love books and sharing information through stories and anecdotes. But why does that even work? This week we review some excellent thought pieces on the subject of narrative and storytelling as valued behavior. We look at what makes cliffhangers so appealing, how stories make learning more fun, and whether you need to be practicing better anecdotes before work.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Detrich, R. (2018). Rethinking dissemination: Storytelling as a part of the repertoire. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 541-549. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0160-y

Hineline, P.N. (2018). Narrative: Why it's important, and how it works. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 471-501. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0137-x

Critchfield, T.S. (2018). An emotional appeal for the development of empirical research on narrative. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 575-590. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0170-9

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

It's a Book Club! It's an episode! It's two amazing hours with authors, Dr. Linda LeBlanc and Dr. Amanda Karsten discussing proactive ethical actions! Are you practicing good time management…ethical time management? Do you think of ethics as core principles to live by or individual codes to follow? Join us and Book Club Guy, Alan Haberman, as we take a refreshingly proactive look at ethics day-to-day.

Patrons, as part of the Summer of Book Club, you'll be able to earn these CEs for no charge! Just be subscribed at the $10 and up level and use your special discount code. Not a patron? Join today!

This episode is available for 2.0 ETHICS CEUs.

Articles discussed this episode:

LeBlanc, L.A. & Karsten, A.M. (2024). Ethics: Proactive and practical decision making for behavior analysts. Sloan Publishing.

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

A quick update on our Book Club release schedule for next year and a chance to vote on your favorite choices. Top 4 vote-getters win a spot on the show.

Vote now!

It's summertime in New England and, for our vacation plans, we made more podcasts! First the Summer of Book Club continues with special guests Dr. Linda LeBlanc and Dr. Amanda Karsten (plus Alan) to discuss their brand new book on practical decision making and ethical action . Then we stop to review some of the behavioral underpinnings that make telling stories so meaningful. Finally we continue our series on neurodiversity with a panel of autistic BCBAs and RBTs sharing their perspectives on how ABA is doing.

Interested in choosing our books for 2025? Then sign up and vote on Patreon at any tier (or as a free member) today!

Articles for June 2024

Ethics Book Club w/ Dr. Linda LeBlanc + Dr. Amanda Karsten

LeBlanc, L.A. & Karsten, A.M. (2024). Ethics: Proactive and practical decision making for behavior analysts. Sloan Publishing.

Storytelling

Detrich, R. (2018). Rethinking dissemination: Storytelling as a part of the repertoire. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 541-549. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0160-y

Hineline, P.N. (2018). Narrative: Why it's important, and how it works. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 471-501. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0137-x

Critchfield, T.S. (2018). An emotional appeal for the development of empirical research on narrative. Perspectives on Behavior Science, 41, 575-590. doi: 10.1007/s40614-018-0170-9

Neurodiversity, pt. 2 - The Neurodiversity Panel w/ Alex Astrella, Michelle LaFrance, + Brian Middleton

For our Spring Listener Choice episode, we're looking into what makes consultation for behavior analysts good. Because consultation is like a mountain where you and your client reach the summit together. But don't forget the extra cans of air in case its very tall. And did you remember to pack enough provisions? Or your compass? Some icebreaker games? Perhaps this metaphor is getting away from us, and you should just listen to the episode discussion of relevant research into what makes good, rather than useless, consultation in behavior analysis.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Wish that CE was free? That you'd been one of the people who voted for this episode (or a different episode)? Then subscribe now on our Patreon Page. Already a patron? Get your 100% off discount code here!

Articles discussed this episode:

Feldman, E.S. & Kratcohwill, T.R. (2003). Problem solving consultation in schools: Past, present and future directions. The Behavior Analyst Today, 4, 318-330. doi: 10.1037/h0100022

McKelvey, I. (2010). The consultation hill: A new model to aid teaching consultation skills. British Journal of General Practice, 60, 538-540. doi: 10.3399/bjgp10X514936

McGimsey, J.F., Green, B.F., & Lutzker, J.R. (1995). Competence in aspects of behavioral treatment and consultation: Implications for service delivery and graduate training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 28, 301-315. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1995.28-301

Ruble, L.A., Dalrymple, N.J., & McGrew, J.H. (2010). The effects of consultation on individualized education program outcomes for young children with autism: The collaborative model for promoting competence and success. Journal of Early Intervention, 32, 286-301. doi: 10.1177/1053815110382973

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

Somehow we've made it nearly 300 episodes without actually talking about concurrent chains arrangement specifically. I mean, we've talked about measuring assent, preferences for treatments, chaining, and concurrent schedules. Finally, all the great tastes that go great together in one episode! But where did the concurrent chains arrangement come from? And how might such a procedure be used to assess preference for different treatment types? Does it work for everyone? I pity the fool that misses this podcast episode.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Catania, A.C. & Sagvolden, T. (1980). Preference for free choice over forced choice in pigeons. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 34, 7-86. doi: 10.1901/jeab.1980.34-77

Hanley, G.P. (2010). Toward effective and preferred programming: A case for the objective measurement of social validity with recipients of behavior-change programs. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 3, 13-21. doi: 10.1007/BF03391754

Auten, E.M., Van Camp, C., & Ferguson, A.B. (2024). A review of the concurrent-chains arrangement to assess intervention choice: 2018-2023. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 57, 319-330. doi:10.1002/jaba.1059

Luck, K.M., Lerman, D.C., Wu, W.L., Dupuis, D.L., & Hussein, L.A. (2018). A comparison of written, vocal, and video feedback when training teachers. Journal of Behavioral Education, 27, 124-144. doi: 10.1007/s10864-017-9279-2

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

UNLOCKED from our Patreon page, it's the "Calling Bullshit" Book Club! Interested in more Book Clubs? Want to vote on what we read next? Feeling FOMO at getting this a full year late? Wish your 2 CEs for listening to the episode were FREE??? Join us on Patreon to get all of our episodes a week early, access to these bonus episodes, plus other goodies.

You'd think living in such a big-data obsessed world, that behavior analysts would be enjoying some of the most fact-filled, objective times of their lives. Unfortunately, more data means more problems, especially when those gathering and publishing the data seem determined to sell you a heaping load of bullshit. For our Spring 2023 Book Club, we get skeptical of all this precious data by reading Bergstrom and West's "Calling Bullshit". We dive into what makes bullshit, how to identify it, and, most importantly, how to call it out and make the world a better place.

Content discussed in this episode

Bergstrom, C.T. & West, J.D. (2020). Calling bullshit. Random House.

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance. Want these CEs for FREE? Just subscribe to our Patreon at the $10+ levels and go to the original post for a discount code.