ABA Inside Track
ABA Inside Track
Recent Episodes
In our newest episode in our Tutorial series, we're joined by special guest (and SLP), Judy Southey to get the ABCs of PECS. Like, did you know saying, "Hand me a PEC" demonstrates a total misunderstanding of the acronym? Or, more importantly, the steps involved in training the usage of PECS for increasing verbal behavior? What comes first, second, last and what common misconceptions about PECS can interfer with the development of functional language? More questions, we've got the answers!
This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.
Articles discussed this episode:
Robertson, M. & Harris, T. (2024, December 30th). How to best determine if an autistic individual is using an effective communication system. Autism Spectrum News. https://autismspectrumnews.org/how-to-best-determine-if-an-autistic-individual-is-using-an-effective-communication-system
Ganz, J.B., Mason, R.A., Goodwyn, F.D., Boles, M.B., Heath, A.K., & Davis, J.L. (2014). Interaction of participant characteristics and type of AAC with individuals with ASD: A meta-analysis. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 119, 516-535. doi: 10.1352/1944-7558-119.6.516
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 [email protected] for further assistance.
Much like the amount of time the New England sun stays up, enjoy a short preview of what's coming out in the darkest days of December on the podcast. This month we've got three special guests including SLP, Judy Southey leading us through the new "How To" all about PECS; Denisha Gingles to lead us through a discussion of leadership practices in ABA, and Matt Cicoria leading us into the new year by reviewing what happened in ABA in 2025 in our yearly special episode. And, to round things out, a discussion about exactly what makes up assent practices. Yule love it all!
Articles for December 2025
Tutorial: PECS with Judy Southey
Robertson, M. & Harris, T. (2024, December 30th). How to best determine if an autistic individual is using an effective communication system. Autism Spectrum News. https://autismspectrumnews.org/how-to-best-determine-if-an-autistic-individual-is-using-an-effective-communication-system
Ganz, J.B., Mason, R.A., Goodwyn, F.D., Boles, M.B., Heath, A.K., & Davis, J.L. (2014). Interaction of participant characteristics and type of AAC with individuals with ASD: A meta-analysis. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 119, 516-535. doi: 10.1352/1944-7558-119.6.516
Culturally Reponsive Leadership Practices in ABA w/ Denisha Gingles
Sriram, V., Atwal, A., & McKay, E.A. (2024). Exploring aspects of mentoring for black and minoritised healthcare professionals in the UK: A nominal group technique study. BMJ Open, 14. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-089121
Laloo, E. (2022). Ubuntu leadership - an explication of an Afrocentric leadership style. The Journal of Values-Based Leadership, 15, 1-9. doi: 10.22543/1948-0733.1383
Mathur, S.K. & Rodriguez, K.A. (2022). Cultural responsiveness curriculum for behavior analysts: A meaningful step toward social justice. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 15, 1023-1031. doi: 10.1007/s40617-021-00579-3
Operationalizing Assent
Mead Jasperse, S.C., Kelly, M.P., Ward, S.N., Fernand, J.K., Joslyn, P.R., & van Dijk, W. (2025). Consent and assent practices in behavior analytic research. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 18, 826-841. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00838-5
Flowers, J. & Dawes, J. (2023). Dignity and respect: Why therapeutic assent matters. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 913-920. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00772-6
So, we already covered safety skills on land. But what about safety in the water? Drowning is one of the most common causes of death in children and those numbers increase significantly for autistic children. In this episode we review the research on how to teach water safety skills. Would you believe, a lot of them include teaching how to swim? That plus other skills that every child should learn and the most effective ways to teach them.
This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU.
Articles discussed this episode:
Martin, C. & Dillenberger, K. (2019). Behavioural Water Safety and Autism: a Systematic Review of Interventions. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 6, 356-366. doi: 10.1007/s40489-019-00166-x
Levy, K. M., Ainsleigh, S. A., & Hunsinger-Harris, M. L. (2017). Let's go under! Teaching Water Safety Skills using a behavioral treatment package. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 52, 186-193. doi: 10.1177/215416471705200208
Tucker, M. & Ingvarsson, E. (2021). Teaching water safety skills to children with autism spectrum disorders. Behavioral Interventions, 36, 535-549. doi: 10.1002/bin.1791
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 [email protected] for further assistance.
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 [email protected] 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
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 [email protected] for further assistance.