The 2024 Verbal Behavior Conference Panel Discussion
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Release Date: 02/11/2025
Improving Health Routines for Adults with Disabilities Using Synchronous Reinforcement Strategies: Inside JABA 24
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In this episode of the Inside JABA Series podcast, we dive into a fascinating discussion on health-related routines for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Dr. Katie McHugh, Dr. Claudia Dozier, and Editor-in-Chief Dr. John Borrero share insights from their recent study, Synchronous Reinforcement Schedules Promote Tolerance of Health-Related Routines for Adults with Disabilities. The conversation explores how synchronous reinforcement schedules—where reinforcement occurs in real time alongside behavior—can improve tolerance for essential routines like...
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Improving Autism and Law Enforcement Interactions through ABA: Session 309 with Lyndsy Coffield
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In Session 309, I welcome Dr. Lyndsy Coffield, Director of Client Success at , to share her unique journey in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and her groundbreaking work training law enforcement officers on autism awareness. Dr. Coffield’s path into ABA began with an undergraduate degree in speech pathology, later becoming an RBT and eventually a BCBA. Today, she oversees intake and marketing at a growing clinic network in Georgia while also dedicating her research to improving police interactions with individuals on the autism spectrum. This episode explores the...
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Sleep, Autism, and Screen Time: Session 308 with Emily Varon
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Episode Overview In this episode, sleep expert Emily Varon returns to the Behavioral Observations Podcast to share her deep expertise in sleep improvement—especially within the autism community. Drawing from 15 years of experience, Emily emphasizes personalized approaches, the role of wearable technology, and the importance of sensitivity when discussing sleep challenges with families. She also discusses new research on screen time and its true impact on sleep latency, offering insights that can reshape how behavior analysts approach sleep-related interventions. Key Topics Covered...
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Dissociative Identity Disorder through a Behavior Analytic Lens: Session 307 with Brady Phelps
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In this episode of the Behavioral Observations Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with , about a topic that has perplexed, and perhaps captivated both mainstream Psychology as well as pop culture: Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Our wide-ranging conversation explored the intersection of behavior analysis, mental health, and trauma, with a special focus on how we can understand DID through a scientific, behavioral lens. Brady’s Career Journey Brady shared how he discovered behavior analysis almost by accident as an undergrad at Utah State University,...
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How to Train Staff and Improve Outcomes in Adult Autism Services: Session 306 with Dr. John Guercio
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
returns to the Behavioral Observations Podcast for his third appearance, bringing his extensive experience and fresh insights into the world of adult services in behavior analysis. In this episode, John and Matt discuss the vital, yet often overlooked, field of supporting adults with autism and other developmental disabilities—particularly those with severe behavioral challenges. They explore: John’s new leadership role at The The The development of a new adult-specific His on staff training in adult service settings Key findings from his on...
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Naming Bidireccional: BOP en Español 15 con el Dr. José Alberto Monseco Gómez
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
En este episodio, conversamos con el Dr. José Alberto Monseco Gómez —analista de conducta, BCBA® e IBA®— sobre un proceso fascinante, aunque poco comprendido aún por muchos analistas de conducta, en la adquisición del lenguaje: el naming bidireccional. A través de una charla accesible y llena de ejemplos, exploramos qué es el naming, cómo se relaciona con conceptos fundamentales del análisis de conducta, y por qué su presencia (o ausencia) puede marcar una diferencia sustancial en el desarrollo de lenguaje complejo. Hablamos de su relevancia tanto en contextos naturales...
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ABA Strategies for Safer Playground Behavior: Inside JABA 23
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Welcome back to the Inside JABA series—this is Episode 23, and it's a must-listen for anyone interested in using Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to improve safety in school settings. In this episode, Dr. Jeannie Donaldson and Gabriela Gomes join Dr. John Borrero and me to discuss the paper, "" (note: first author, Elizabeth Linton unfortunately was not able to join us). 🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Playground Safety Statistics: The surprisingly high rates of injury during recess and why this matters. Behavior-Analytic Interventions: A review of previous ABA...
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Using ABA to Build Better Health and Fitness Habits: Session 303 with Michal Pollack
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
joined me to discuss how she uses her training in Behavior Analysis to help her with her personal health and fitness goals. Michal is a Clinical Director at . In this episode, we talk about: How she got her start in Applied Behavior Analysis. How she found her way to Apollo, and what she enjoys about working there. How she realized that getting fit doesn't require playing team sports, or being an athlete more generally. How spending time abroad during a gap year motivated her to adopt a healthier lifestyle. How going to the gym regularly helped her improve her emotional wellbeing....
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AI, Applied Behavior Analysis, and the Future of Clinical Tools: Frontera Series on AI with Sydney Holmes
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Behavior Analysis Meets Artificial Intelligence , I had the pleasure of speaking with , a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and master’s level psychologist. Sydney is also the Clinical Product Lead at , where she’s helping bridge the gap between behavior analysis and artificial intelligence in some really exciting ways. Did you miss the first Frontera Series interview with CEO and Founder, Amol Deshpande? Check it out ! We covered everything from using AI tools for clinical work and content creation, to how machine learning is reshaping supervision, diagnostics, and parent...
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Supporting Parents in ABA Services with Valencia Harper from Apollo Behavior: Session 301
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
When it comes to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), much of the focus is often placed on data collection, program goals, and measurable outcomes for the child. But what about the parents? Supporting caregivers is a critical, and sometimes overlooked, component of effective ABA services. In a recent podcast episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Valencia Harper, a seasoned clinician from Apollo Behavior, to talk about her thoughtful approach to working with families. Long-time listeners may remember Valencia from our Apollo Case Study Series, where she and her colleagues...
info_outlineThis is a recording of the 2024 Verbal Behavior Conference Panel Discussion, which I had the honor of moderating along with VBC founder, Kelle Rich. The participants included Drs. Patrick McGreevey, Eb Blakely, Alice Shillingsburg, Mirela Cengher, Hank Schlinger, and the incomparable Lina Slim.
As you'll hear, this was a lively conversation, and what I love about this event is that there was not only lots of audience participation, but we had tons of people chiming in from the BehaviorLive virtual feed.
In this panel discussion, we discussed the following:
- Dr. Patrick McGreevey's thoughts on mastery criteria.
- Dr. Eb Blakely's discussion of a case study for a learner who's reinforcers include signs of damage.
- Collaboration, rapport building, and consultation skills with public school teachers and SLPs.
- Considerations for manual signs vs. picture selection.
- Echoic skill development for children of non-hearing parents.
- Dr. Slim's thoughts on Gestalt Language Processing.
- Whether Standard Celeration Charting is making a comeback.
- And lots more!
If this kind of event sounds like fun for you, please consider joining us for the 2025 VBC. This year's VBC is taking place March 27-28 and will feature talks from Drs. Pat McGreevy, Tiffany Kodak, Judah Axe, April Kisamore-Hunter, Barbara Esch, and Caio Miguel. The day before the conference will feature a full day workshop from the aforementioned Dr. Barbara Esch.
The conference itself provides 13 CEUs, and when combined with Dr. Esch's workshop, it's 19 CEUs total.
As always, the in-person event is in Austin, TX. If you decide to go in person, expect to have many opportunities before and after the talks to interact directly with the presenters. It always amazes me how generous these folks are with their time.
If you can't make it to Austin, we'll certainly miss you, but the virtual experience provided by BehaviorLive is second-to-none. I think this comes through, again, as evidenced by the virtual audience's participation in these panel discussions.
If you want to check out all of Behavioral Observations' past VBC content, click here.
This podcast is brought to you by:
- ACE Approved CEUs from .... Behavioral Observations. That's right, get your CEUs while driving, walking your dog, doing the dishes, or whatever else you might have going on, all while learning from your favorite podcast guests!
- The Behavioral Toolbox. thebehavioraltoolbox.com is a new education and training site that my colleagues Anika Costa and Dr. Paulie Gavoni and I have been working on for over two years. Check out our latest course, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In as well as the hugely popular When Not to FBA: 5 Quick Strategies for Improving Behavior in Classrooms.
- Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout!
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