Welcome to Part 3 of my mini-series answering your burning questions! Today, we're diving into the topic of verbal imitation. When it comes to verbal imitation and echoic goals, context is everything. These goals must be functional and meaningful to the individual child in order to support communication development. As an SLP collaborating with a BCBA, and vice versa, rely on assessment tools and an SLP's robust training in speech to identify and shape functional goals. It's crucial that we plan...
Jul 08, 2025•13 min•Ep. 236
In this installment of minisodes, we tackle a common AAC challenge: what happens when professionals don’t agree? The BCBA recommends PECS, the SLP suggests a dynamic device… Now what? Welcome to the standard trial of non-collaborative chaos. There are plenty of barriers to AAC collaboration, but also practical steps that can lead to smoother teamwork. The first is building familiarity. AAC can feel overwhelming, but taking time to learn the basics makes collaboration more effective. One key remi...
Jul 01, 2025•13 min•Ep. 235
Responding with “Where’s the research for that?” may be quick, but it can strain professional relationships. Today, we’re diving into a simple framework you can start using in your school or clinic—starting tomorrow! So, how do we navigate disagreements when our training and backgrounds differ? The truth is—our way isn’t the only way. Consider this quote from the article Maintaining Professional Relationships in an Interdisciplinary Setting: Strategies for Navigating Nonbehavioral Treatment Reco...
Jun 24, 2025•13 min•Ep. 234
There may be two sides of the IEP table, but at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team — the learner’s. I had the pleasure of chatting with Ryan Hogan, also known as @TheWorldsOkayestSchoolPsych, the creator behind the popular, lighthearted school psych meme account on Instagram. We talked about the intersection of ABA, special education, and school-based work in the social media space. Ryan shared some great insights, especially the reminder that you control your own online space . Prot...
Jun 17, 2025•33 min•Ep. 233
Leila Farschian, Special Educator and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), is someone who gets things done. She has lived these problems in the field and is actively working to solve them. Her story offers practical insight and inspiration to you in your daily work. As founder of the Global Schoolhouse Project, Leila partners with the International Healthcare Network on Closing the Digital Divide, a project bringing digital devices into schools in Johannesburg, South Africa. It’s not just ab...
Jun 10, 2025•24 min•Ep. 232
I am talking all things biz with Mellanie Page, founder and CEO of The ABA Collective. Mellanie, a trailblazer in the field, creates high-quality programs that go beyond the traditional boundaries of ABA. Mellanie joins us to talk about entrepreneurship, finding your niche, and the value of starting before everything feels perfect. If you’ve got that entrepreneurial spark, a voice nudging you toward something more —you’re in the right place. Mellanie shares how stepping into the gaps she saw in ...
Jun 03, 2025•28 min•Ep. 231
For BCBA Maggie Haraburda, founder of Unfurling Littles , play is anything that sparks joy. Her approach to ABA therapy blends child-led play with ACT-integrated strategies, centering on the child’s motivation and individuality. In our conversation, Maggie highlights the “Dos and Don’ts” of play therapy: join the child’s world before introducing new elements, build from what already brings them joy, and act as a play partner—not a director. Her neurodiversity-affirming lens means recognizing all...
May 27, 2025•32 min•Ep. 230
As someone who goes to yoga a few times a week, I was intrigued at the possibility of integrating it into my therapy practice. Lindsay Watkins is a BCBA and Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) with a passion for blending wellness and applied behavior analysis. Lindsay teaches continuing education (CEUs) to BCBAs on this topic on BehaviorLive (her next training is scheduled for June 2, 2025). Here, Lindsay shares her journey from burning out as a special ed teacher to discovering yoga therapy and f...
May 20, 2025•32 min•Ep. 229
Have you ever considered adding ABA services to your speech therapy practice? Today I had a chat with Quintina Briscoe, founder of Pediatric Speech Lab, who shares her inspiring journey to opening her own clinic. Quintina discusses how she recognized a gap in services for children with autism and the importance of integrating ABA into speech therapy to better support her clients. She reflects on the behavioral challenges many SLPs face and how inclusive, multidisciplinary therapy can make a last...
May 13, 2025•28 min•Ep. 228
Lauren Ross is a proud member of a rare group—one of fewer than 500 professionals dually certified as both a Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). In 2022, she founded Precision Therapy, a Medicaid-funded therapeutic consultation service designed to deliver impactful, client-centered care. Her innovative model blends naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) with hands-on caregiver training to support meaningful, individualized goals. Wh...
May 06, 2025•27 min•Ep. 227
Tracey Hawkins became part of the autism community in 2018 when both of her sons were diagnosed with autism—just seven months apart. When it comes to autism, structure and routine are so important. But as a mother, Tracey couldn't find the right technology to support her family's needs. She knew she couldn’t change the diagnosis, but she could improve the support system around it. So, she created the Thrive App—a tool designed to organize the chaos and connect parents with providers. In her own ...
Apr 29, 2025•24 min•Ep. 226
Stephanie Howard, a BCBA and mother, faced a turning point when her son was diagnosed with ADHD at age five. She realized the same executive functioning tools she used professionally could support both her parenting and her son's development. Executive functioning—skills like planning, impulse control, and focus—is often disrupted in ADHD, autism, and trauma. It’s more than behavior; it’s about how the brain organizes and responds to the world. Stephanie shares, for listeners, the Executive Func...
Apr 22, 2025•31 min•Ep. 225
Bombarding parents or colleagues with information can shut down meaningful dialogue. Instead, Dr. Monica Gilbert shares how we can use Motivational Interviewing (MI) to foster collaboration and encourage change through using the core principles—OARS + I: Open-Ended Questions—Invite Discussion: "How do you see this working for you?" Affirmations—Reinforce strengths: "I see how much you care about this." Reflective Listening—Show understanding by paraphrasing their thoughts. Summarization—Clarify ...
Apr 15, 2025•23 min•Ep. 224
At the ASHA conference in Seattle, I had the opportunity to meet Gabriella Cameron and Jennifer Kent, who presented on their Theme-Based Collaborative Groups within the Endeavour Program at Ivymount, a nonpublic, publicly funded special education environment serving students aged 5–21. Gabriella and Jen’s theme-based groups are embedded within Endeavour, offering structured but flexible learning experiences tailored to each student. Any student who can tolerate working in a group is a candidate,...
Apr 08, 2025•33 min•Ep. 223
JD Barker, New York Times bestselling author, was diagnosed with autism at 22—a late discovery that brought long-overdue clarity to challenges he’d faced since childhood. Early in his career, a stint in anger management led a counselor to suggest autism, prompting JD to begin therapy. There, he worked on basics like making eye contact and organizing his thoughts—skills that helped him better navigate both personal life and the demands of his writing career. He began as a ghostwriter and book doc...
Apr 01, 2025•26 min•Ep. 222
Dr. Matt Zakreski, PsyD, joins me to explore neurodiversity—a term often used, but not always fully understood. Neurodivergent individuals, including those with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, bipolar disorder, and more, experience measurable differences in how their brains function. It’s not about won’t , but can’t —and that distinction matters. In classrooms, teachers frequently encounter neurodiverse learners, yet most lack proper training to support their unique needs. Dr. Matt addresses this gap th...
Mar 25, 2025•25 min•Ep. 221
As professionals, we inevitably face contentious subjects across the field. Today I am sharing a recent example of disagreement met with collaboration. In this case, an SLP determined that a Gestalt Language Processor (GLP) was not yet in the Natural Language Acquisition stage to answer questions. Meanwhile, the BCBA set a goal for the learner to respond to Personal Safety Questions. The team ultimately collaborated to prioritize safety-related questions as a goal important for this specific l...
Mar 18, 2025•25 min•Ep. 220
Are the learners in your class or therapy room engaging in behaviors that create barriers to learning? What can you do? Bailey Payne, author of Behavior Breakthrough: 12 Skills to Transform Behavior at Home and in the Classroom , offers data-driven, evidence-based strategies to help parents and educators reshape their responses, modify environments, and create lasting change. Her book makes Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) concepts accessible, empowering caregivers and teachers to foster a more p...
Mar 11, 2025•29 min•Ep. 219
I’m talking with Jessica DeMarco about outside-of-the-box thinking to promote and teach social skills while enriching students’ lives. Project Social Code is a unique program that uses block coding to help children develop teamwork, problem-solving, and communication skills while exploring STEM. Funded by a $2.5 million, five-year grant, it ensures that kids of all abilities, including those with disabilities who are often excluded from traditional STEM programs, have the opportunity to engage, ...
Mar 04, 2025•26 min•Ep. 218
Dr. Michael C. Selbst and Dr. Jennifer Cruz from Behavior Therapy Associates joined me to explore Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), a subtype of autism spectrum characteristics marked by an anxiety-based drive for control. PDA triggers a fight, flight, or freeze response to both explicit and implied demands, making traditional interventions ineffective. Individuals with PDA often have highly sensitive nervous systems and struggle with the removal of control, leading to heightened anxiety. Whi...
Feb 25, 2025•31 min•Ep. 217
Are you supporting students struggling with reading? Marty Schultz introduces an incredible learning resource, Buddy Books, which provides access to over a million books to help students build confidence and improve literacy. Designed for students in lower socio-economic districts and those with learning differences like ADHD, autism, or selective mutism, Buddy Books offers a structured yet engaging way to develop reading skills. A student reads a line, then the AI reads a line, creating an inte...
Feb 18, 2025•22 min•Ep. 216
At the Marcus Autism Center, Dr. Kathleen Edmier, BCBA, and Karen Guerra, SLP, work together to bridge the gap between their fields, demonstrating the power of collaboration in supporting individuals with autism. Their work showcases how speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and board-certified behavior analysts (BCBAs) can align their approaches to maximize positive outcomes. For professionals looking to collaborate, the key lies in relationship building and mutual respect. Shifting from a multid...
Feb 11, 2025•30 min•Ep. 215
Dr. Givona Sandiford is a friend, colleague, and speech-language pathologist with nearly 20 years of experience and a passion for innovation. As the founder of Melospeech, Dr. Givona is transforming the field by introducing technology-driven tools that help SLPs streamline their workflows, increase efficiency, and even boost their income. Her forward-thinking approach has made her a trailblazer, inspiring professionals to embrace new ways of working while maintaining balance in their lives. On t...
Feb 04, 2025•26 min•Ep. 214
DeTerrence Allen, a dedicated behavior scientist, comes from a family of Board-Certified Behavior Analysts, including his wife. His passion for ABA is rooted in a heartwarming “love story” for the field. A dynamic speaker, DeTerrence recently delivered an inspiring talk on soft skills at the Black Men of Behavior Analysis Conference. So, what are soft skills? DeTerrence highlights critical communication skills rooted in kindness and respect, understanding the function behind your words, and ensu...
Jan 28, 2025•39 min•Ep. 213
Welcome to the ABA Speech Podcast. We will continue discussing autism and broadening our scope with important topics in the field. I’m joined by Dr. Matthew Brodhead, whose career has been shaped by a passion for understanding human behavior and how we can influence it. His article, Maintaining Professional Relationships in an Interdisciplinary Setting: Strategies for Navigating Nonbehavioral Treatment Recommendations for Individuals with Autism , written 10 years ago, has greatly influenced my ...
Jan 21, 2025•38 min•Ep. 212
Functional Communication Training (FCT) is a proven strategy to replace problem behaviors with effective communication skills. In her article, Practitioners Guide for Selecting Functional Communication Responses , published in Behavior Analysis in Practice , Dr. Bethjoy Houck offers practical advice to help clinicians implement FCT successfully. FCT focuses on giving learners a way to express their needs that works for them, whether through speech, sign language, cue cards, object exchanges, or ...
Jan 14, 2025•34 min•Ep. 211
Getting an autism evaluation for a child can be a daunting process, fraught with long waitlists, high out-of-pocket costs, and navigating complicated systems. Every moment matters when it comes to early intervention, and Dr. Michael Perisa of Zest Pediatrics is working to simplify the journey for families. Zest Pediatrics, the first pediatric direct primary care network in the country, offers a membership-based model that removes many of the headaches families face with traditional primary care....
Jan 07, 2025•17 min•Ep. 210
Enjoy this replay of this favorite two-part episode! In part one of my interview with Dr. Edythe Strand. A renowned speech pathologist and former professor at Mayo College, Dr. Strand has led groundbreaking research on developmental, acquired, and progressive apraxia of speech. Dr. Strand explains that apraxia is not a medical diagnosis but a label for a speech-sound disorder impacting the movements required to produce speech. Unlike other speech disorders, apraxia affects programming and planni...
Dec 31, 2024•59 min•Ep. 209
Enjoy this replay of one of my favorite episodes! Executive functioning skills are essential for all ages, and in this episode, we dive into this critical topic with Sara Ward, an SLP specializing in executive functioning. Sara brings a unique perspective, sharing practical strategies for assessment and intervention that can transform how we support students. Sara simplifies executive functioning for young children as “sequencing” and explains how it evolves into planning across growing windows ...
Dec 24, 2024•47 min•Ep. 208
Attending ASHA 2024, the largest conference for speech-language pathologists (SLPs), was an incredible experience for networking and professional growth. As the national association for speech therapy, ASHA’s annual event is a hub for innovation, collaboration, and learning. I kicked off the conference by attending an insightful talk by the Speech Production Lab on speech motor chaining, setting a high bar for the days ahead. Later, the reception for CEU providers offered a fun and engaging oppo...
Dec 17, 2024•18 min•Ep. 207
