ABA Inside Track – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode we're delving back into the world of OBM with special guest Dr. Doug Johnson. And after giving us a crash course in meaningful instrucitonal design, Dr. Johnson discusses many of the ways that meaningful teaching can leverge amazing business trainings. Shockingly tons of video and flashy graphics don't actually make your new employee orientation webinar good. There are rules about this kind of stuff, and Dr. Johnson points out some of the most important ones.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Johnson, D.A. (2021). The foundations of behavior-based instructional design within business. In Houmanfar, R.A., Fryling, M., & Alavosius, M.P. (Eds.), Applied behavior science in organizations. (pp. 65-80). Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003198949-3

Johnson, D.A., Li, A., McCalpin, A.L., & Laske, M.M. (2024). The advancement of training within business using behavior-based instructional design. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 44, 150-171. doi: 10.1080/01608061.2023.2225792

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.

Could it be? Could Jackie's option for Listener Choice actually have won the poll? I guess everybody really wants to learn more about the challenges involved in moving from one activity to the next. So, in this episode, that's exactly what we'll review. Are there good treatment options when putting down the iPad and joining an arts and crafts activity leads to tears? How can we even pinpoint where and why the transition chain is breaking down? Put down your JABA and head on over to your phone to find out.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Waters, M.B., Lerman, D. C., & Hovantez, A. N. (2009). Separate and combined effects of visual schedules and extinction plus differential reinforcement on problem behavior occasioned by transitions. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42, 309-313. doi: 10.1901/jaba.2009.42-309

Pálsdóttir, E.D., Magnússon, A.F., & Sveinbjörnsdóttir. (2024). An experimental analysis of task refusal: A comparison of negative reinforcement contingencies and transitions between academic tasks. Behavioral Interventions, 39, 1-11. doi: 10.1002/bin.1993

Wilson, J.D., Federico, C.A., Perrin, J., & Morris, C. (2025). Treatment of challenging behavior during physical transitions: A case study. Behavior Analysis in Practice. doi: 10.1007/s40617-025-01086-5

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.

This year we're kicking off Supervision September by focusing our supervisory efforts with a growing category of supervisees, individuals with disabilities. Because, for a field based on helping people, we don't always practice what we preach with our colleagues! We discuss the culture of disability in regards to humility in supervision as well as how to bring what other fields have learned to our own behavior analysis trainees.

This episode is available for 1.0 SUPERVISION or 1.0 ETHICS/CULTURAL CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Andrews, E.E., Kuemmel, A., Williams, J.L., Pilarski, C.R., Dunn, M., & Lund, E.M. (2013). Providing culturally competent supervision to trainees with disabilities in rehabilitation settings. Rehabilitation Psychology, 58, 233-244. doi: 10.1037/a0033338

Ecko Jojo, G. (2024). Disability-affirming supervision: future directions in applied behavior analytic supervision. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 17, 26-36. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00846-5

Gatzunis, K.S., Edwards, K.Y., Diaz, A.R., Conners, B.M., & Weiss, M.J. (2022). Cultural responsiveness framework in BCBA supervision. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 1373-1382. doi: 10.1007/s40617-022-00688-7

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.

In what we're planning as an ongoing series of episodes over the next year (and beyond), ABA Inside Track will be talking about neurodiversity: What it is, what it means for behavior analysts, and why understanding and discussing it with open ears, the courage to be uncomfortable, and the importance of listening is key to the future of our field. For now, here's an episode to get our conversation started.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Veneziano, J. & Shea, S. (2023). They have a voice; are we listening? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 127-144. doi: 10.1007/s40617-022-00690-z

Graber, A. & Graber, J. (2023). Applied behavior analysis and the abolitionist neurodiversity critique: An ethical analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 921-937. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-0780-6

Donaldson, A. L., Krejcha, K., & McMillin, A. (2017). A strengths-based approach to autism: Neurodiversity and partnering with the autism community. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 2, 56-68. doi: 10.1044/persp2.SIG1.56

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click herevvvv 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 voted on by our Patrons, we're talking about ways to prevent that pernicious problem for professionals: Burnout. Hopefully that's not just because a high percentage of BCBAs are feeling unappreciated, constantly in unresolved conflict with clients and co-workers, and highly dissatisfied with their current lot in life. Even if you are, this episode will cover some ways that you can reflect on the burnout process to avoid falling fully into its clutches (and, if you're a boss, some steps that you might want to ensure you're taking!).

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Wish that CE was free? Subscribe on our Patreon page to see the full recording and get a discount for 100% off your purchase.

Articles discussed this episode:

Novack, M.N. & Dixon, D.R. (2019). Predictors of burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover in behavior technicians working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 6, 413-421. doi: 10.1007/s40489-019-00171-0

Kazemi, E., Carter, C., & Davies, M.S. (2022). Workplace conflict in applied behavior analysis: Prevalence, impact, and training. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 608-618. doi: 10.1007/s40617-021-00649-6

Austin, A. & Fiske, K. (2023). Evaluating the relationship between compassion, perceived supervisor support, and burnout among ABA staff. Behavior Analysis in Practice. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00813-0

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.

Man, January went so long that we barely had time to stop to record our February preview. But whether in a car or on a boat, we've got behavior analytic discussions to fill 29 days. This month we're joined by guest, Dr. Noor Syed, to review her work on creating sustainable equitable practices in research and higher education. We also begin with the first part in what we hope will be an ongoing discussion about neurodiversity and review some recent articles on combatting workplace burnout, courtesy of our Patreon listeners. And, yes, Rob really recorded this episode from his (parked) car.

Articles for February 2024

(LISTENER CHOICE) Preventing Burnout

Novack, M.N. & Dixon, D.R. (2019). Predictors of burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover in behavior technicians working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 6, 413-421. doi: 10.1007/s40489-019-00171-0

Kazemi, E., Carter, C., & Davies, M.S. (2022). Workplace conflict in applied behavior analysis: Prevalence, impact, and training. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 608-618. doi: 10.1007/s40617-021-00649-6

Austin, A. & Fiske, K. (2023). Evaluating the relationship between compassion, perceived supervisor support, and burnout among ABA staff. Behavior Analysis in Practice. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00813-0

Discussion on Neurodiversity

Veneziano, J. & Shea, S. (2023). They have a voice; are we listening? Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 127-144. doi: 10.1007/s40617-022-00690-z

Graber, A. & Graber, J. (2023). Applied behavior analysis and the abolitionist neurodiversity critique: An ethical analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 921-937. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-0780-6

Donaldson, A. L., Krejcha, K., & McMillin, A. (2017). A strengths-based approach to autism: Neurodiversity and partnering with the autism community. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups, 2, 56-68. doi: 10.1044/persp2.SIG1.56

Systemic and Sustainable Change Toward Equity w/ Dr. Noor Syed

Glenn, S.S., Malott, M.E., Andery, M.A.P.A., Benvenuti, M., Houmanfar, R.A., Sandaker, I., Todorov, J.C., Tourinho, E.Z., & AbreVasconcelos, L. (2016). Toward consistent terminology in a behaviorist approach to cultural analysis. Behavior and Social Issues, 25, 11-27. doi: 10.5210/bsi.v.25i0.6634

Syed, N.Y., Mellon, L., & Kristiansen, S. (2023). Equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in research. In D.J. Cox, N.Y., Syed, M.T. Brodhead, & S.P. Quigley (Eds.) Research ethics in behavior analysis: From laboratory to clinic and classroom (pp. 63-86). Academic Press. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-323-90969-3.00012-8

Hilton, J., Syed, N., Weiss, M.J., Tereshko, L. Marya, V., Marshall, K., Gatzunis, K., Russeel, C., & Driscoll, N. (2021). Initiatives to address, diversity, equity, and inclusion within a higher education ABA department. Behavior and Social Issues, 30, 58-81. doi: 10/1007/s42822-021-00082-y

Making mistakes isn't all bad. Unless those mistakes result in faulty stimulus control during skill acquisition. But, fret not, this week we dive into some of the options available as you craft your programs to respond to errors in a way to maximize learnining efficiency while taking the preferences of your client into account. Basically, how to teach the fastest while being the least annoying. And does correcting errors actually work better than avoiding them?

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Leaf, J.B., Cihon, J.H., Ferguson, J.L., Milne, C.M., Leaf, R., & McEachin. (2020). Comparing error correction to errorless learning: A randomized clinical trial. The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, 36, 1-20. doi: 10.1007/s40616-019-00124-y

Carroll, R.A., Joachim, B.T., St. Peter, C.C., & Robinson, N. (2015). A comparison of error-correction procedures on skill acquisition during discrete-trial instruction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 48, 257-273. doi: 10.1002/jaba.205

Carroll, R.A., Owsiany, J., & Cheatham, J.M. (2018). Using an abbreviated assessment to identify effective error-correction procedures for individual learners during discrete-trial instruction. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51, 482-501. doi: 10.1002/jaba.460

Cariveau, T., Montilla, A.L.C., Gonzalez, E., & Ball, S. (2019). A review of error correction procedures during instruction for children with developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 52, 574-579. doi: 10.1002/jaba.524

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.

This week we return to one of of favorite (and most important topics): training others to work with adults with significant disabilities. And, in our excitement to talk to Dr. John Guercio on everything this entails, we almost forgot to talk about the specific articles! Whether looking at the primary means of supporting staff skill growth or utilizing effective, evidence-based treatment plans and curricula, we leave no stone unturned in learning everything we can about supporting adult clients (within the timeframe of our podcast length). Want to see more? Check out Dr. Guercio's core competencies book for more.

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Wilson, A.N., Kasson, E.M., Gratz, O., & Guercio, J.M. (2015). Exploring the clinical utility of a stimulus avoidance assessment to enhance a relaxation training model. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8, 57-61. doi: 10.1007/s40617-014-0035-y

Guercio, J., Davis, P., Faw, G., McMorrow, M., Ori, L., Berkowitz, B., & Nigra, M. (2002). Increasing functional rehabilitation in acquired brain injury treatment: Effective appliations of behavioural principles. Brain Injury, 16, 849-860. doi: 10.1080/02699050210131957

Guercio, J.M. & Dixon, M.R. (2010). Improving the quality of staff and participant interaction in an acquired brain injury organization. Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, 30, 49-56. doi: 10.1080/01608060903529780

Soldner, J.L., Rehfeldt, R.A., Guercio, J., & Dillen, J. (2005). The use of computer activity schedules to increase initiation of and engagement in domestic and leisure activities in an adult with acquired brain injury. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 6, 173-177. doi: 10.1080/15021149.2005.11434259

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.

Enjoy a short preview of our latest full-length Book Club episode.  Want to hear the whole thing and get 2 CEs for free? Subscribe to our Patreon today at the premium $10+ levels for that plus other bonuses!

While we've covered acceptance and commitment therapy a few times before, we'd never really dug too deeply into exactly HOW ACT is behavior analytic. As in the exact mechanisms by which the fabulous steps of the hexaflex "work" as described in 100% behavioral terms. Now, thanks to our listeners (and book authors Dixon, Hayes, and Belisle), we can! Join us as we learn about ACT from theory to practice in our two-hour discusion of "Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Behavior Analysts". Plus, you'll finally get to discover which branch of the hexaflex is our all-time favorite! Is it acceptance? Committed action? Self-as context? No, no one likes self-as context.

This full version of this episode is available for 2.0 LEARNING CEUs.

Content discussed in this episode:

Dixon, M.R., Hayes, S.C., & Belisle, J. (2023). Acceptance and commitment therapy for behavior analysts: A practice guide from theory to treatment. Routledge.

Far over standard celeration graphs cold

To research labs deep and operant chambers old

We must respond, ere break of a targeted duration

To mand our pale enchanted reinforcers

This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.

Articles discussed this episode:

Heward, W.L. Kimball, J.W., Heckaman, K.A., & Dunne, J.D. (2021). In his own words: Siegfried "Zig" Englemann talks about what's wrong with education and how to fix it. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14, 766-774. doi: 10.1007/s40617-021-00636-x

Greenwald, A. (2023). Prompting and modeling of coping strategies during childbirth. Behavior Analysis in Practice. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00837-6

Sheehan, A (2022). The development of a participatory tool to enable autistic people to influence the interior design of their homes. Good Autism Practice, 23, 13-26.

Shores, R. E., Gunter, P. L., & Jack, S. L. (1993). Classroom Management Strategies: Are They Setting Events for Coercion? Behavioral Disorders, 18, 92–102. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23887084

If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click herevvv 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.