This is not a show about teaching eye contact. We'll get to that in a bit.
First though, I should note that the 22nd installment of the Inside JABA Series is coming out comically late. I apologize for getting us off schedule. The good news is that we already have a great paper to discuss for the 23rd Inside JABA episode that I think you're going to love, so I hope to have that one out later on in the spring.
Back to this episode. Drs. Danny Conine and Jenn Fritz join me to discuss a paper Danny wrote with his colleagues called, "Evaluating a screening-to-intervention model with caregiver training for response to name among children with autism."
There are so many great things about this paper, and listeners will be able to tell this from my enthusiasm in discussing it with Danny and Jenn.
As I noted above, this is not about teaching eye contact, but rather, a more generalized repertoire of responding to one's name (RTN). We get into why these two things are different, and, as Danny tells it, RTN repertoires have many benefits that directly impact learning and safety.
In this paper, he describes an elegant assessment and intervention that his research team implemented to develop RTN in the study's participants. In carrying out this study, they also employed a simple and effective assent withdrawal component, which we get into.
Then, they took what the skills they developed in a clinic setting, and taught the participant's caregivers to implement RTN procedures at home. As such, this paper provides a great example of how to generalize skills across settings. Very cool!
Along the way, Danny provides practical tips clinicians can consider for their own practice. All of this to say, I'm hoping you'll agree that the wait for this episode will be worth it!
Resources discussed in this podcast:
Conine, et al. (2025). Evaluating a screening-to-intervention model with caregiver training for response to name among children with autism.
Conine, et al. (2020). Assessment and treatment of response to name for children with autism spectrum disorder: Toward an efficient intervention model.
Conine, Vollmer, and Bolívar (2019). Response to name in children with autism: Treatment, generalization, and maintenance.
BOP Session 212 with Tim Hackenberg.
Luczynski and Hanley (2013). Prevention of problem behavior by teaching functional communication and self-control skills to preschoolers.
The Verbal Behavior Approach, by Dr. Mary Barbera.
Links to Danny's faculty page, Research Gate profile, LinkedIn, and his lab's Instagram.
Jenn's faculty page, Research Gate profile, LinkedIn, and the UHCL ABA Program page.
If you enjoy this episode, please consider sharing with friends and colleagues!
Drs. Ilene Schwartz and Beth Kelly joined me to discuss the never ending conundrum of navigating ethical dilemmas. As Ilene points out in the podcast, most people know right from wrong, but the types of dilemmas BCBAs encounter are what she calls 'right vs. right' dilemmas...
Therefore, ethical practice requires a continuous decision making process. And in my guests' view, this is not a matter of decontextualized rule-following. In this podcast, we get into these nuances, using Ilene and Beth's newly published book, Ethical Decision Making in Applied Behavior Analysis.
We also discussed a framework for articulating one's values and principles that you might find helpful in your work setting.
Resources for this podcast:
This podcast is brought to you with the support of:
Many years ago, a wise principal once told me that good instruction is the best classroom management tool teachers have at their disposal. In Session 293, Dr. Todd Haydon joins me to discuss the practice of increasing the rate of students' opportunities to respond (OTR), which is an instructional practice that has been shown to improve classroom behavior.
In doing so, Todd and I did a deep dive on his dissertation work, which culminated in the study, Haydon, Mancil, and Van Loan (2009). This study began with a referral to help students who engaged in disruptive and off-task behaviors. Rather than conduct several individual FBAs, Todd and his colleagues coached the teacher to increase the rate of posing academic questions to the class.
The results spoke for themselves, and the rest is history. So tune in to learn how this practice works, and maybe it can be something that will help you in your practice!
Oh, and by the way, he concludes the podcast with a very memorable story, so be sure to tune into the entire episode!
Resourced discussed in this podcast:
This podcast is brought to you with the support of:
En este episodio, regresamos al importante tema de la Evaluación Práctica Funcional (PFA por sus siglas en inglés) y el Tratamiento Basado en Habilidades (SBT por sus siglas en inglés), esta vez explorándolo a través de un estudio de caso. Ana María Méndez-Vides nos guía con claridad y detalle por cada etapa del proceso, desde la evaluación hasta la implementación del tratamiento y sus extensiones.
A lo largo de la conversación, Ana comparte su experiencia clínica y su profundo conocimiento, abordando las preguntas más comunes que surgen al conocer este proceso en mayor profundidad. Además, nos brinda una perspectiva enriquecida por su juicio clínico, su experticia, su cercanía con la fuente de esta tecnología y, sobre todo, su sensibilidad cultural.
Este episodio no solo ofrece un repaso esencial, sino también una inmersión en la aplicación práctica de este enfoque, destacando la presencia de más líderes en Latinoamérica que están transformando la manera en que apoyamos a personas con desafíos en el desarrollo y problemas severos de conducta.
¡No te lo pierdas! 🎧✨
Recursos:
Estudio de caso con Ana (video con Ana).
🎙️ Practical Functional Assessment & Skill-Based Treatment: A Case Study with Ana María Mendes-Vides 📢
In this episode, we revisit the important topic of Practical Functional Assessment (PFA) and Skill-Based Treatment (SBT)—this time through the lens of a case study. Ana María Méndez-Vides takes us through the entire process with clarity and detail, from assessment to treatment implementation and its extensions.
Throughout our conversation, Ana shares her clinical expertise and deep knowledge, addressing common questions that arise as one becomes more familiar with this process. She enriches the discussion with her clinical judgment, extensive experience, direct mentorship from the source, and, most importantly, her cultural sensitivity.
This episode is not only a great refresher but also an opportunity for a deep dive into the practical application of this technology, highlighting the growing presence of leaders in Latin America who are transforming the way we support individuals with significant behavioral challenges.
Don’t miss it! 🎧✨
Resources:
Estudio de caso con Ana (video con Ana).