ABA Inside Track

Some of us struggle going to the doctor. Some of us shrink in terror at the sight of nail clippers. But when individuals with histories of avoiding medical care need help learning to tolerate these necessary procedures, what treatments can we use? This week we head to the doctor's office with a review of a broad spectrum of articles discussing teaching medical toleration. Let's just say Amazon isn't the only group putting together big packages we're excited to see. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Cuvo, A., Raegan, A., L., Ackerlund, J., Huckfledt, R., & Kelly, C. (2010). Training children with autism spectrum disorders to be compliant with a physical exam. Research in Autism Spectrum Disoders, 4, 168-185. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2009.09.001 Dowdy, A., Tincani, M., Nipe, T., & Weiss. M. J. (2018). Effects of reinforcement without extinction on increasing compliance with nail cutting: A systematic replication. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51, 924-930. doi: 10.1002/jaba.484 Slifer, K. J., Avis, K. T., & Frutchey, R. A. (2008). Behavioral intervention to increase compliance with electroencephalographic procedures in children with developmental disabilities. Epilepsy Behavior, 13, 189-195. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2008.01.013 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 #, the two episode secret code words, and answers to the knowledge check questions to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

Sure, I bet we can all think of a concept. But could you define exactly what a "concept" is? What it isn't? How about teach a concept? This week Dr. Catherine Williams joins us to look at the concept of concepts using both behavior analytic terminology and some fun, experimental behavioral research. Because making up rules about what defines the concept of a fancy triangle doesn't always cut it. And because sometimes your non-examples are much too far out, hippie. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Williams, C.L., St. Peter, C.C., Perone, M., Aguilar, M., Cederberg, B.A., Gregersen, D.J., & Richardson, E.J. (2025). Using must-have and can-have features to improve conceptual learning. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 124, e70037. doi: 10.1002/jeab.70037 Williams, C.L. & Roop, J.C. (2025). Instruction consisting of a rule and set of examples and nonexamples reliably teaches concepts. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 124, e70061. doi: 10.1002/jeab.70061 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 #, the two episode secret code words, and answers to the knowledge check questions to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

As the summer weather turns its bright face towards New England, we find ourselves wrapping up another year of book club...just in time to start planning for NEXT YEAR'S BOOK CLUB!! Get your phone loaded with all the podcasts you need for the beach with this month's new episodes. First, we open up a themed grab bag with articles all related to participants with dual-diagnoses. Then we dig into the details of concept formation with Dr. Catherine Williams to find out exactly how you should really be teaching new things. Last, get prepared for your annual medical check-up with an episode all about medical toleration procedures. And as if that wasn't enough, Patrons gain access to our Summer Book Club pick, "Adventures in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis" featuring an interview with Dr. MerrilI Winston in addition to our regular book club shenanigans. If you work in the school setting (or are getting ready to work in the school setting) you do not want to miss out. Interested in selecting all of next year's Book Club selections? Then be sure to fill out our new poll to let us know what we should be packing in our summer go-bags for next year's episodes. Articles for June 2026 (DUAL DIAGNOSIS) A Very Dual-Diagnosis Grab Bag (Summer 2026 Grab Bag) Nussbaum, N.L. (2012). ADHD and female specific concerns: A review of the literature and clinical implications. Journal of Attention Disorders, 16, 87-100. doi: 10.1177/1087054711416909 Kurtz, P. F., Chin, M. D., Robinson, A. N., O'Connor, J. T., & Hagopian, L. P. (2015). Functional analysis and treatment of problem behavior exhibited by children with fragile X syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 43, 150-166. doi: 10/1016/j.ridd.2015.06.010 Lambert, J. M., Parikh, N., Stankiewicz, K. C., Houchins‐Juarez, N. J., Morales, V. A., Sweeney, E. M., & Milam, M. E. (2019). Decreasing food stealing of a child with prader-willi syndrome through function based differential reinforcement. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49, 721-728. doi: 10.1007/s10803-018-3747-y Conceptual Learning w/ Dr. Catherine Williams Williams, C.L., St. Peter, C.C., Perone, M., Aguilar, M., Cederberg, B.A., Gregersen, D.J., & Richardson, E.J. (2025). Using must-have and can-have features to improve conceptual learning. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 124, e70037. doi: 10.1002/jeab.70037 Williams, C.L. & Roop, J.C. (2025). Instruction consisting of a rule and set of examples and nonexamples reliably teaches concepts. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 124, e70061. doi: 10.1002/jeab.70061 Medical Toleration Cuvo, A., Raegan, A., L., Ackerlund, J., Huckfledt, R., & Kelly, C. (2010). Training children with autism spectrum disorders to be compliant with a physical exam. Research in Autism Spectrum Disoders, 4, 168-185. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2009.09.001 Dowdy, A., Tincani, M., Nipe, T., & Weiss. M. J. (2018). Effects of reinforcement without extinction on increasing compliance with nail cutting: A systematic replication. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 51, 924-930. doi: 10.1002/jaba.484 Slifer, K. J., Avis, K. T., & Frutchey, R. A. (2008). Behavioral intervention to increase compliance with electroencephalographic procedures in children with developmental disabilities. Epilepsy Behavior, 13, 189-195. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2008.01.013 Adventures in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis Book Club (feat. Dr. Merril Winston) Winston, M. (2016). Adventures in special education and applied behavior analysis. Sloan Publishing.

A few years back, we contributed a book chapter on non-traditional options for disseminating behavior analysis with Matt Cicoria where we became slightly enamored with the idea of communities of practice as a means for knowledge sharing. Well, thanks to our amazing listeners on Patreon, that topic is back and with a full episode. We look at how to create a community of practice, whether the idea actually leads to changes in professional behavior, and what barriers might keep your new group of professional problem solvers down. Protip: Being in Canada appears to be a huge help. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Busch, L., Zonneveld, K., Saini, V., Chartier, K., Leathen, N., Asaro, M., & Feltz, N. (2020). The more we get together: Communities of practice for behaviour analysts. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, 52, 277-284. doi: 10.1037/cbs0000174 Hennein, R., Ggita, J.M., Turimumahoro, P., Ochom, E., Gupta, A.J., Katamba, A., Armstrong-Hough, M. & Davis, J.L. (2022). Core components of a community of practice to improve community health worker performance: A qualitative study. Implementation Science Communications, 3, 27-40. doi: 10.1186/s43058-022-002791 Barwick, M.A., Peters, J., & Boydell, K. (2009). Getting to uptake: Do communities of practice support the implementation of evidence-based practice? Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 18, 16-29. Kerno, Jr., S.J. (2008). Limitations of communities of practice: A consideration of unresolved issues and difficulties in the approach. Journal of Leadership and Organizational Studies, 15, 69-78. doi: 10.1177/1548051808317998 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 #, the two episode secret code words, and answers to the knowledge check questions to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

While Rob gets his Jedi robes back from the cleaners, let's take a moment for some fun chats, listener comments, and a preview of what's coming up this month on ABA Inside Track. First we open the Book Club vault to release last year's discussion of Jenara Nerenberg's female neurodiversity exploration, "Divergent Mind", the book that may have saved Diana and Rob's marriage (at least in the sense that they both liked it and are still married). Then we turn the episode-picking over to our listeners with a discussion of communities of practice and whether they're really as helpful for practitioners as they seem. Finally, we're joined by Dr. Ray Joslyn to cover a topic we didn't even know behavior analysts studied: the use and impact of adversarial questioning on the accuracy of eyewitness responding. Will we find out if humans are worse at interviews than Imperial probe droids? Stick with us the whole month to see.

As the insurance landscape for ABA services continues to open up new avenues for families to search for the best evidence-based treatments (way to go MA!), BCBAs may find themselves unwittingly practicing outside of their scope of competence. Case in point: Working with clients with Down syndrome. So, rather than fall back on the "behavior analytic principles are true for all organisms" excuse, why not dive into the research on ABA and Down syndrome by listening to this week's episode. And, if that's not enough for you, how about hearing directly from Dr. Kathleen Feeley who has been supporting learners with Down syndrome with ABA methods for years. Nothing feels better than building one's competence in a new area! This episode is available for 1.0 DUAL-DIAGNOSIS (QABA)/1.0 LEARNING (BACB) CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Feeley, K.M. & Jones, E.A. (2006). Addressing challenging behaviour in children with Down syndrome: The use of applied behaviour analysis for assessment and intervention. Down Syndrome Research and Practice, 11, 64-77. doi: 10.3104/perspectives.316 Feeley, K. & Jones, E. (2008). Strategies to address challenging behaviour in young children with Down syndrome. Down Syndrome Research and Practice, 12, 153-163. doi: 10.3104/case-studies.2008 Feeley, K.M., Jones, E.A., Blackburn, C., & Bauer, S. (2011). Advancing imitation and requesting skills in toddlers with Down syndrome. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32, 2415-2430. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.07.018 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 #, the two episode secret code words, and answers to the knowledge check questions to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

It's been over 200 episodes since we've last talked about Rob's favorite topic/curriculum/body of research, the Preschool Life Skills. So, to wrap up his birthday month of episodes, we're bringing it back! First, a review of PLS and how it can fit into your classroom environment. Then two recent extensions of the PLS into trauma-based treatment and parent skill development. Hopefully, you'll be as excited as Rob is by the end of this episode. And, if not, could you just fake it for a while? It is his birthday. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Falligant, J.M. & Pence, S.T. (2017). Preschool Life Skills using the Response to Intervention model with preschoolers with developmental disabilities. Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice, 3, 217-236. doi: 10.1037/bar0000056 Rees, R.E., Seel, C.J., Huxtable, B.G., & Austin, J.L. (2024). Using the Preschool Life Skills program to support skill development for children with trauma histories. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 17, 693-708. doi: 10.1007/s40617-023-00892-z Lee, H., Gunning, C., Leow, J., & Holloway, J. (2024). An evaluation of delivery of the parent Preschool Life Skills program via telehealth. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 57, 893-909. doi: 10.1002/jaba.2914 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 #, the two episode secret code words, and answers to the knowledge check questions to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

A kobold approaches! He's looking for someone to help him with his social skills to gain greater friends at the taverns. Do you roll for behavior analysis clinical skills? Or attack him with your +2 broadsword? While we've definitely discussed role-playing activities in training contexts, recent years have seen a huge increase in interest in gamification in learning a variety of skills. One area of research is in the use of tabletop role-playing games in therapeutic and clinical settings. But is there any research to back up the hype? This week we're joined by active RPG player clinical user, Danielle Yang, to dive into the research base as we work to answer the question: could the use of RPGs in treatment be considered behavior analytic? Interested in learning more about this topic? Danielle offers a deeper-dive course into the use of RPGs in treatment and skill planning. You can also join her Discord to chat with other RPG/ABA practitioners. And keep your eye out for a bonus episode this month where we'll be demoing just HOW a tabletop RPG could be used in a clinical setting. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Arenas, D.L., Viduani, A., & Araujo, R.B. (2022). Therapeutic use of role-playing game (RPG) in mental health: A scoping review. Simulation and Gaming, 53, 285-311. doi: 10.1177/10468781211073720 Yuliawati, L., Wardhani, P.A.P., & Ng, J.H. (2024). A scoping review of tabletop role-playing game (TTPRG) as a psychological intervention: Potential benefits and future directions. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 17, 2885-2903. doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S466664 Helbig, K.A., (2019). Evaluation of a role-playing game to improve social skills for individuals with ASD. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Southern Mississippi]. Aquila Digital Community. https://aquila.usm.edu/dissertations/1673 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 #, the two episode secret code words, and answers to the knowledge check questions to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.