You are never truly an expert on something until you know how to teach it to others. Reinforcement is something that affects all areas of your classroom and your students' success. It affects your students' academic skills, level of independence, social skills, problem behaviors, and more. It's a fundamental component to your classroom. You absolutely need to ensure that you and your team are on the same page when it comes to something so important. Whether your team has misunderstandings of how...
Jan 13, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 56
Leading your team effectively is essential for student success in the classroom. However, leadership skills aren't something that are taught and don't always come naturally. In this episode, I interview Dr. Sara Feldman. Sara is the co-owner of The Helm ABA Services in the Dallas area. As Sara has grown her business, she saw the importance in developing her team into strong leaders. Sara shares things a good leader does: - has a vision - shares the vision in a way others understand - is consiste...
Jan 06, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 55
In a school setting, working on teams is always part of the job. However, teamwork is hard. It can be even more challenging when working with colleagues who are "difficult". You may have colleagues who are pushy, overly opinionated, or aggressive. This can add stress to your day and impact your happiness at work. In this episode, we take an ABA approach to collaboration. I share 4 common teamwork strategies and explain why taking these steps can be effective. Let's look at adult interactions thr...
Dec 16, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 54
A power struggle occurs when two individuals are unwilling to change their opinion or position. Power struggles happen in our lives and in our classrooms. In this episode, learn my 6 strategies for AVOIDING the power struggle before it even starts. 1. Pick your battles. 2. Give ways to be in control. 3. Say yes instead of no. 4. Model what you want to see. 5. Give transition warnings. 6. Don't punish the effort. Work proactively instead of reactively. Build up your student or child's skill set a...
Dec 09, 2019•16 min•Season 1Ep. 53
Executive functioning skills are a set of process to get things done to achieve a goal. They are the skills you need to perform (or execute) a task. Once I started learned about how these skills, I had some major light bulb moments. I knew so many students, clients, and adults who struggled with these skills. I immediately saw how these skills could impact so many areas of an individual's life. I instantly became passionate about learning about how to teach and strengthened executive functions! ...
Dec 02, 2019•23 min•Season 1Ep. 52
Dr. Laura Riffel is also know as the Behavior Doctor and has trained hundreds of thousands of teachers, clinicians, and parents on the principles of function based behavior change. In this episode, she is sharing her revamped Competing Pathways Chart. Laura shares all the details on how to utilize this framework to identify the function of behavior and develop a strategy for positive and long lasting behavior change. Download the Competing Pathways Chart here: https://theautismhelper.com/competi...
Nov 25, 2019•33 min•Season 1Ep. 51
The school day starts from the second your student or child leaves the house and there is quite a lot that can happen between that moment and when the child enters the classroom. School bus staff are responsible for part of students' school day but receive very little (if any!) training and support. In this episode, I interview Patrick Mulick. Patrick is a BCBA, special education administrator, and educational consultant with a passion for helping provide transportation staff with the resources ...
Nov 18, 2019•40 min•Season 1Ep. 50
In this episode, Whitney Sarnowski shares her story from special ed teacher and soon to be BCBA to special needs parent. She shares the details of her son's diagnosis with autism and discusses what early warning signs she saw in her son. After identifying these signs, she reached out to Florida State's First Words Project ( https://firstwordsproject.com/ ) and worked collaboratively with their team in the evaluation process. Whitney's son Kyson was diagnosed with autism at 20 months. Whitney was...
Nov 11, 2019•50 min•Season 1Ep. 49
Even with the best of intentions, utilizing AAC to its fullest can be both intimidating and overwhelming. In this episode, Susan Berkowitz, SLP helps streamline this process by sharing actionable and user friendly tips. Susan shares her 10 Best Practices for AAC Use in the Classroom. We discuss how staff can set up communicate opportunities, teach use of the AAC system, and help students expand their skill sets. Susan gives strategies that are applicable to any setting or age level. If you have ...
Nov 04, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 48
In my blog, social media, and this podcast, I strive to strike a balance between being positive and having a problem solving attitude with sharing being honest and discussing the struggles that come with the job of a special education teacher. In this episode, I want to share some of my hardest moments from my teaching career. I think it's important to talk about the challenges because it lets others going through the same situation know that they are not alone. I want to share what each of thos...
Oct 28, 2019•32 min•Season 1Ep. 47
Jody is the parent of 5 year old, Remy. Jody shares the story of fining out her daughter was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition called PCDH19 and autism. From the process of diagnosis to acceptance, Jody discuss the lessons she has learned from her daughter, how she decided to share her story, and why having a community around you who understands is so important. Jody’s motivational message is a must listen and will encourage you to continue to develop deeper relationships with the parents ...
Oct 21, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Dr. Amanda Kelly (also known as Behavior Babe) is passionate about sharing all the Applied Behavior Analysis can offer. In this episode, Dr. Kelly and I discuss actionable strategies and ideas that teachers can utilize in the classroom. Dr. Kelly shares seemingly simple tweaks to things you are likely already doing that can have a big impact. She puts a behavior analytic spin on common classroom practices to help teacher give their students the best opportunities to succeed. website: https://www...
Oct 14, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 45
In this episode, I interview Rosemarie Griffin who is an SLP and BCBA. Rose is passionate about giving all learners a voice by using evidence based practices and a multi-disciplinary approach. Rose shares her 5 tips for working with students with limited language. We discuss assessment, how to identify student reinforces, and strategies for building up team collaboration. Rose’s tips are actionable and applicable to so many of our settings! Learn more from Rose at abaspeech.org ! Click here to f...
Oct 07, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Creating IEP goals that are meaningful for both the student and the teacher is going to led to more progress. The goal needs to be meaningful to the student by identifying an area of need that will allow that student more opportunities for growth and increased independence. The goal needs to be meaningful to the teacher by creating a clear plan for goal implementation and progress monitoring. In this episode, I share 5 steps towards writing great IEP goals. I discuss how utilizing actionable wor...
Sep 30, 2019•21 min•Season 1Ep. 43
The last thing any parent or teacher wants is for the debate over a student’s educational rights to escalate towards due process. However, unfortunately this can happen. In this episode, I interview special education attorney, Jennifer Price. Jennifer shares why ensuring that the rights of students are met can get complicated. Jennifer shares some actionable steps a teacher can do to establish a definition of student progress and demonstrate growth. She also identifies some red flags that parent...
Sep 23, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 42
Reinforcement is a term that's thrown around a lot however it's commonly misunderstood and misused. Reinforcement is something that comes after a behavior that causes an increase in the probability of that behavior happening again in the future. There are two big warnings signs I see when I think, "This isn't actually reinforcement." When I am told a "reinforcer" doesn't work or when I see a "reinforcer" used before a positive behavior occurs (in hopes that it will), I know this is reinforcement...
Sep 16, 2019•26 min•Season 1Ep. 41
There are plenty of misconceptions and myths about Applied Behavior Analysis. In this episode, Tameika Meadows, BCBA and I are on a mission to debunk the myths. We discuss some situations where something may be identified as ABA but in reality it is not aligned with the best practices and principles of our field. Tameika and I discuss the misconceptions that ABA teaches robotic skills, doesn’t take into account client preferences, and is working to erase autism. Tameika pulls from her valuable e...
Sep 09, 2019•45 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Get the best of Sasha's Professional Development Workshops in a digestible and easy to understand format in our brand new Professional Development Group. In this episode, learn the details of how this membership came to be, what actionable strategies our members will learn, and how Sasha can help you step by step this school year. Enrollment is open September 2-7. Learn more here: www.theautismhelpermembership.com Click here to find out more info about The Autism Helper Professional Development ...
Sep 02, 2019•20 min•Season 1Ep. 39
I frequently get asked, “Should I become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst?? My quick answer: “Yes!” My long answer isn’t so simple. While I am passionate about the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and am always eager for others to drink the kool-aide too and become a BCBA, there are a lot of important considerations when making this decision. In this episode, I interview Dr.Jennifer Klapatch Totsch, Ph.D. BCBA-D. She is currently Assistant Professor and Program Director of the Applied Behavi...
Aug 26, 2019•59 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Whenever I get a question about how to handle staff conflict, my go-to response is “Did you make a team mission statement?” A team mission statement is an essential tool to create with your staff to establish a collaborative work environment and avoid or handle miscommunications. In this episode, learn the first step to creating a team mission statement - finding the TIME to sit down and do this with your staff. Learn how to identify options for staff training time. The team mission statement is...
Aug 19, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 37
6 Simple Ways to Get Staff Buy-In Having staff buy-in is the make or break of a great team. Staff members that have buy-in see the reasons why strategies work. They are collaborative and cooperative. So how do you develop and cultivate staff buy-in? This is something you need to work towards and work at. In this episode, we pull from concepts related to staff training, growth mindset, and leadership skills to create 6 action items. When you work on these steps, you will develop a team that works...
Aug 12, 2019•28 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Whether you are a first year teacher, a teacher new to special education, or a veteran teacher starting in a new school - being the newbie is hard. In this episode, I share my three important tips for being the new teacher. When you are new - ask for help, plan baby steps, and observe first. These simple strategies help you tackle the overwhelming to do list. They also help you learn about your new school’s future and expectations. Every new role comes with new nuances and those can be tricky to...
Aug 05, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Addressing the communication needs of your students needs to be incorporated into every inch of your classroom. That's why this final step of the classroom setup process is completely dedicated to communication. Speech Language Pathologist, Sarah Allen, and I discuss how to get your classroom communication-ready. From best practices for communication systems to activities that will build communication at all levels, there is a lot to consider when it comes to setting up your classroom for optima...
Jul 29, 2019•35 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Now let's get to the meat and potatoes of your classroom. When setting up your class, what curriculum and activities do you need to ensure your students are learning? There's no quick and easy answer. The idea of developing a set of materials for your students is overwhelming. You may have students that have an extremely wide range of skills. You are working on potty training and pronouns and everything in between. The general education curriculum may not be appropriate for your class. You have ...
Jul 15, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 33
Yes - data collection needs its own step in the classroom setup process because it is that important. Data should be the backbone of your classroom. You should embed your data collection system into your classroom setup process. Make it something thoughtful and purposeful not an afterthought. In this episode, we review best practices and tips for setting up academic and behavior data. For academic data, decide if organization by student or by center is best for your (hint: there’s no wrong answe...
Jul 01, 2019•31 min•Season 1Ep. 32
In this episode, we review how to set up visuals in your classroom in a way that is purposeful and effective. You want only the visuals that are useful and not a whole huge set of ones you don’t need. Use visuals to label. This helps with organization and teaching students to independently find and put away materials. Use visuals to support directives. We give so many verbal command on a daily basis and our kids with receptive language processing challenges just can’t keep up. Use visuals to sho...
Jun 17, 2019•38 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Schedules are a must have for every classroom because they are functional. We all use schedules! In step 3 of the Seven Steps for Setting a Stellar Autism Classroom, we review the whole schedule process. First, learn how to create a detailed student and staff schedule (and some important reasons on why you need both). After you create student and staff schedules, it’s time to make schedules for your students. Schedules should be individualized! Not every student needs a visual and moveable-piece...
Jun 03, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Why is structure important? A structured environment decreases negative behaviors, lessens student anxiety, increases independence, and improves student independence. And guess what? It also helps you manage and lead your staff. Creating and maintaining a structured and routine oriented environment will help your team work more collaboratively. In this episode, Jen Koenig, one our of team bloggers, and I discuss best practices for creating a structured environment. Jen shares her two essential c...
May 27, 2019•44 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Step 1 in the Seven Steps for Setting Up a Stellar Autism Classroom: Organization and Planning. Don’t be tempted to skip this step. The classroom process should be purposeful and thoughtful. Spend time actively brainstorming and evaluating the needs of your students. Remember, as Dr. Stephen Shore said, “If you’ve meet one individual with autism, you’ve meet one individual with autism.” Your classroom should be changing and evolving every year because the needs of your students will be changing ...
May 20, 2019•37 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Dr. Mary Barbera is a best selling author, BCBA, and autism mom. In this episode, I chat with Mary about her journey into the autism world. She shares the story of her son’s diagnosis, how she learned about ABA, and what inspired her to become a BCBA. Mary’s bestselling book, The Verbal Behavior Approach, comes from Mary’s years of experience working with children with autism. Mary discusses how the verbal behavior approach is different than what many think of as ‘traditional’ autism and some im...
May 13, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 27
