The ABA Study Group is a Facebook group that is dedicated to helping people learn about behavior analysis, prepare for the BACB exam, and for those already certified, to maintain fluency with the terminology of our field. As of this writing, they have over 15,000 members so they certainly have found an audience for their work. One of the cool things that the ABA Study Group does is host frequent Zoom meetings. For those who don't know, Zoom is an online video meeting platform which allows members of the group to meet face-to-face, and the group hosts these meetings to cover specific topics for those who are learning about Behavior Analysis. Getting back to this episode, about a month ago, Roger Matar and Celia Heyman reached out to me and invited me to speak with the group on one of their Zoom calls. Specifically, they turned the tables on me, so to speak, and interviewed me for a change. What I learned from this is that I have a even deeper respect for what my guests go through! In other words, asking the questions is WAY easier than answering them!!! In all honesty, there were a few answers that I provided that I would have liked a second try on. I guess if there is a lesson in this for others, it would be to practice interviewing with peers if you're in a stage of your career in which you're applying for jobs, internships, and so on. Self deprecation aside, I had a great time, and I truly appreciated everyone who attended the Zoom call. Again, I can't overstate the good work that the study group is doing, so if you're not familiar with them, I highly suggest checking them out. Finally, after re-listening to the interview, I realized that I neglected to credit my good friend, John Corley, who is a constant source of technical assistance. When I first thought about starting a podcast, John was one of my biggest cheerleaders, and he provided (and continues to provide) tons of assistance. Despite his help, it is important to note that all technical errors are mine. John and me, August 2017 This podcast is sponsored by Britton Behavioral Consulting. Dr. Lisa Britton, BCBA-D specializes in providing independent fieldwork supervision in a remote context. If you listen to Session 29, you'll learn that she has a wealth of experience in both the practice of Behavior Analysis, as well some great processes in place for mentoring soon-to-be BCBA's. I have corresponded with previous mentees of hers, and to a person, they sang her praises as a supervisor.
Today's show is a little different than they typical episode. On September 30th, 2017, the New Hampshire Association for Behavior Analysis will be hosting its 3rd annual conference (tickets are available here). In order to promote this event, and more generally, highlight the great work that NH ABA does, I put together a sequence of five mini-interviews with all of the conference speakers. This year's line-up is great. We will feature a Keynote address from Dr. Greg Hanley, and a closing Distinguished Speaker presentation from Dr. Mark Sundberg. Between these talks, we'll hear from Dr. Derek Reed, Caitlin Kirkwood, and Michael Miklos. In this episode, you'll hear about what they will talk about, but you can also click here to access the conference brochure. The conference is a fantastic value. The early-bird price of $99 gets you 6.5 CEU's, a buffet lunch (yes, there is a free lunch), and opportunities to meet and network with fellow behavior analysts. The early bird price is available through August 31st, but if I had to guess, the event is going to sell out prior to that. As such, if you're considering attending, I recommend picking up your tickets right away. Click here to access the online portal to make that happen. In this episode, I've asked each speaker to recommend readings, websites, and other resources to check out. Here are those references in the approximate order in which they are mentioned in the episode. From Greg's interview: www.practicalfunctionalassessment.com Slayton, Hanley, & Raftery 2017 From Derek's: Some random podcast episode Derek's tutorial video on the SQAB YouTube channel The Behavior Analysis in Practice tutorial article From Mike's: www.pattan.net From Caitlin's: Addison, et al., 2012 Peterson, et al., 2016 The SOS approach to feeding From Mark's: The Verbal Behavior Approach, by Session 12 guest, Dr. Mary Lynch Barbera Jumpstarting Communication Skills in Children with Autism, by Dr. Mary Jane Weiss The Analysis of Verbal Behavior Special Issue on the Intraverbal Thirty Points About Motivation from Skinner's Book Verbal Behavior