The 2024 Verbal Behavior Conference Panel Discussion
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Release Date: 02/11/2025
Making ABA Research Matter: Practical Dissemination Strategies for Behavior Analytic Scholars, Inside JABA 25
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Episode Overview In this special episode of the Behavioral Observations Podcast, I had the honor of celebrating the 25th installment of the . This one was particularly meaningful because it also marks the final appearance of Dr. John Borrero in his role as Editor-in-Chief of . I invited John to reflect on his three-year tenure—what he learned from reading an enormous volume of manuscripts, how his thinking evolved, and why adapting our language is essential if we want behavior analysis to reach broader audiences. From there, we transitioned into an...
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Trauma-Informed Behavior Analysis, A Guide for BCBAs: Session 315 with Gabi Morgan and David Adams
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Thanks for joining me in Session 315 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast. In this episode, I spoke with Drs. and to dive deep into trauma-informed behavior analysis. Gabi brings her 30-year journey in the field—from undergrad roots to professorship at —while David shares his evolution from child and family therapy to clinical psychology, with a heavy focus on foster and adoptive parenting. Both guests are passionate about closing the divide between trauma therapy and behavioral strategies, and they credit mentors like for lighting the way. We...
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Supporting Schools in Hawaii with the Care Project: Session 314, Live from HABA 2025
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
If you follow Behavioral Observations on , you might recall that I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to the 20th Annual conference to give the closing Keynote Address. I could devote an entire podcast episode to talking about all the wonderful people I met, the fun experiences I had, and the amazing sights I was able to take in. One of the biggest highlights though, was the opportunity to sneak in the following conversation I had with a panel of employees from Hawaii's Department of Education. It turns out that the State of Hawaii is doing some innovative work in...
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Client Assent in Behavior Analysis: Balancing Autonomy & Clinical Progress, Session 313 with Cody Morris
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In Session 313, Dr. Cody Morris from , and the newly re-launched podcast (please also see ), joins me to dive into a topic that has merited quite a bit of discussion in Applied Behavior Analysis. These days, you pretty much have to be living under a rock in ABA circles to not have noticed the increased focus on assent practices in treatment programming. Cody is one of the preeminent authorities on this topic, and in this episode, we talk about the definitions of assent, how assent has been conceptualized in other fields, and how it applies to the work we do as Behavior Analysts. In doing so,...
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From Amazon to Autism Care: AI Powered Tools for ABA and Diagnostics: Frontera Series on AI with Grant Sickle
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In this episode of The Behavioral Observations Podcast, I talk with , former Amazon product leader and current head of product at , a company building AI-powered platforms to improve autism care. Grant shares how his team is developing and tools to shorten waitlists, streamline reporting, and support clinicians in delivering more efficient ABA therapy. We also discuss how Frontera’s app enables HIPAA-compliant behavior tracking, parent engagement, and asynchronous supervision — while addressing the issue of . This conversation highlights...
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Culturally Sensitive Approaches to ABA Treatment: Session 311
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In Session 311, I sit down with Christina Nylander and Leah Hussain from to talk about culturally sensitive approaches to Autism intervention. We dive into three case studies that show how flexible, individualized care can make a huge difference in building the rapport that's so important in our clinical work. Along the way, we share strategies for gaining parent buy-in, supporting bilingual language development, and using AAC devices to help children communicate more effectively with their families. Here’s what we cover: The parent...
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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,...
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.
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- 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!
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