Behavior analysts are frequently responsible for teaching concepts and operations. Whether teaching in academia, training employees within corporations, working with young learners, or serving disabled learners, behavior analysts primarily find themselves in an instructional position relaying information from themselves to others. They often…

Accreditation is typically a voluntary process that involves a thorough evaluation of an organization's policies, procedures, and practices. Much like a colonoscopy, the evaluation process probes deep and can be uncomfortable. With the discomfort, time, cost, and effort it takes to undergo evaluation for accreditation, the natural question is…

This conceptual article examines the role of team-building in outdoor learning, reviews group development theory in relation to teamwork, and outlines the Behaviour Analysis model as a tool to facilitate team-building. Working with this foundation, the theory and model are combined with discussion about team, leader, and facilitator behaviours at…

Questions about human behavior and diversity have captured the attention of scientists from a wide range of philosophical stances for centuries. While behavior analysts would argue that natural science is an enlightening perspective when applied to the understanding of the human condition, at times arguments within certain campaigns would prefer…

Applied behavior analysis (ABA), a mainstay treatment used in the education of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has grown in popularity in recent years. Paralleling the growth of ABA are increasing concerns regarding its inequitable treatment of vulnerable, and otherwise marginalized, populations of students. Although ABA has been…

This article provides preliminary practice recommendations for telehealth direct applied behavior analysis (ABA) services for children with autism. In the face of COVID-19, there is an immediate need for discussion on how to implement various ABA procedures via telehealth for ABA practitioners. Alongside emerging scientific evidence on the…

Leaf and colleagues (2016) provided a definition and description of progressive applied behavior analysis (ABA) in the context of autism treatment in which a behavior analyst takes a structured, yet flexible, approach to treatment that is responsive to the learner and includes on-going, in-the-moment analysis of teaching. Since Leaf and…

Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) have a strong and growing evidence base. Yet, NDBIs are not implemented on a wide scale within early intervention programs for children on the autism spectrum. Potential reasons for the slow adoption of NDBIs likely stem from the differing theoretical orientations of behavioral and…

Cultural contingencies help shape the development of an individual's behavioral repertoire. Researchers within field of behavior analysis have, within the past decade, reiterated the importance of connecting behavioral principles to a client's cultural practices. The incorporation of cultural preferences within behavioral services is paramount to…

Behavior analysis is the scientific study of behavior. Radical behaviorism is the worldview of behavior analysts and this perspective drives how we think about behavior, assess the influences on behavior, and develop strategies to change behavior. There is evidence that some behavior analysts are using interventions that are not conceptually…

The BCBA Task List (5th and 6th Edition) requires behavior analysts are familiar with multiple assessment methods, including tools to assess the function of problem behaviors and assess skill strengths and deficits. Although several studies exist on the assessment of functions using indirect functional assessments, descriptive functional…

Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS), also called 22q13.3 deletion syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder affecting at least 2,000 people worldwide (Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation, 2019, How rare is Phelan-McDermid?). PMS has many distinguishing characteristics and many medical specialties have been recommended to treat the clinical features. While…

The provision of applied behavior analytic (ABA) services is a highly efficacious intervention approach most often used to improve the lives of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)/Autistics. Given the advancement of the field, more nuanced skill sets of behavior analysts, such as compassionate care skills, are emerging as the focus of…

The science of behavior began in the laboratory setting, focusing on the direct measurement of behavior-environment relations. The field of applied behavior analysis (ABA) is relatively new with the first publications in the flagship journal, The Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, appearing in 1968. Soon the application of the science was…

The prevalence rate of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown dramatically, and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires educators to use evidence-based practices to improve academic and/or behavior outcomes for children with ASD. There is definitive scientific evidence regarding the effectiveness of applied behavior…