Improving Autism and Law Enforcement Interactions through ABA: Session 309 with Lyndsy Coffield
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Release Date: 08/20/2025
The Four Leadership Hats: Applying Behavioral Science to Leadership and Supervision — Session 321 with John Guercio
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In this episode, I’m joined by John Guercio for a wide-ranging and practical conversation about leadership through a behavioral lens. John and I dig into what it actually means to lead in applied behavior analysis, especially when so much of the existing leadership literature is vague, mentalistic, or disconnected from observable behavior. We start by talking about the need to operationalize leadership in behavioral terms and explore the four leadership hats developed by : leading, training, coaching, and managing. We break down what each of these roles looks like behaviorally, how they...
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The Importance of Hard and Soft Skills in ABA Practice: Session 320 with Tiffany Kodak and Landon Cowan
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In Session 320, I sit down with Landon Cowan and Tiffany Kodak to talk about an area of behavior analysis that doesn’t get nearly enough attention: professional (or “soft”) skills. We spend a lot of time in our field teaching and refining technical, clinical, or “hard” skills—and for good reason. But far less time is devoted to the interpersonal, communication, and problem-solving skills that ultimately determine how effective we are as clinicians, supervisors, and collaborators. In this conversation, Landon and Tiffany share their research aimed at identifying, defining, and...
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2025 Year in Review: Session 319 with ABA Inside Track
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Don’t adjust your podcast player folks, you have the right show. Welcome to Session 319 of the Behavioral Observations Podcast. If you’ve been listening for a bit, you know what’s coming. If you’re new to the show however, first, welcome and thanks for listening. Every year, I team up with my friends from the ABA Inside Track Podcast to do a Year In Review episode. We’ve tinkered with the format over time, but for this one, we talk briefly about the trends and issues that we thought were important in 2025. From there, we discussed some of the most downloaded shows from our podcasts...
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Smarter Study Strategies Using Cover, Copy, and Compare: Session 318 with Sarah Frampton
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In this episode, I sit down with , who conducts research on, amongst other things, improving how we teach, learn, and organize information using behavior-analytic strategies. We explore her career journey, her research on graphic organizers and the Cover, Copy, Compare (CCC) strategy, and the broader implications for stimulus equivalence, educational technology, and effective teaching. In This Episode, You’ll Learn: How Sarah’s unconventional path led her from economics and psychology into Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Why note-taking and structured...
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Eye Contact and AI in ABA Treatment: Session 317 with Francesca degli Espinosa
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In Session 317, I sit down with Dr. Francesca Delia Espinoza to revisit one of the most foundational—but often misunderstood—topics in behavior analysis: eye contact. We explore why eye contact shouldn’t be treated as a simple objective, but instead understood within its broader social and developmental context. Francesca explains how eye contact is better re-framed as "eye-looking," and why behavior analysts need a strong conceptual foundation for evaluating when, how, and why to teach it. We discuss her recent paper in Perspectives on Behavior Science, which encourages practitioners to...
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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...
info_outlineIn Session 309, I welcome Dr. Lyndsy Coffield, Director of Client Success at Apollo Behavior, 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 intersection of ABA careers, autism, and law enforcement training, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that come with bridging these worlds.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Entering the ABA Field
- Dr. Coffield’s journey from speech pathology to becoming a BCBA.
- Her leadership role at Apollo and overseeing client success in a multi-clinic system.
Understanding Law Enforcement Culture
- Why credibility matters when teaching law enforcement officers about autism.
- Parallels between gaining parents’ trust in ABA and gaining officers’ trust in training.
Police Academy Experiences
- Dr. Coffield’s firsthand experiences at a Citizens Police Academy: ride-alongs, call centers, and unit training.
- Surprising insights into the hidden volume of crime and emergencies in her community.
Autism and Law Enforcement Training
- Common challenges officers face when interacting with individuals on the spectrum.
- Misinterpretations—such as stimming being mistaken for drug use—and how they can escalate situations.
- Practical strategies: slowing down, assessing intent, and waiting for backup when needed.
Applying Behavior Analysis to Autism Training
- How ABA principles help officers understand and support autistic individuals.
- Tips for officers: allowing response time, keeping safe distances, and recognizing autism traits.
- The Blue Envelope Project and other community initiatives improving interactions.
De-Escalation Training in Action
- A success story from Salem, NH, where effective autism training helped officers de-escalate high-risk encounters.
- Why calm, compassionate approaches make a lasting impact in policing.
Body Camera Footage as a Training Tool
- Dr. Coffield’s dissertation analysis of 10 body cam videos involving autistic individuals.
- Key officer behaviors that worked: patience, spacing, and communication.
- Why both lecture-based training and Behavioral Skills Training (BST) are equally effective.
Ongoing Autism and Law Enforcement Research
- Insights from Dr. Cofield’s dissertation (available on PubQuest).
- The need for additional studies and real-world ride-along experiences.
- Encouragement for ABA professionals to get involved in police training efforts.
Why This Conversation Matters
The intersection of autism, ABA, and law enforcement is a critical area where misunderstandings can have serious consequences. Dr. Cofield’s research and practical training insights provide a roadmap for safer, more empathetic, and more effective police interactions with autistic individuals.
Whether you’re an ABA professional, law enforcement officer, or advocate for the autism community, this episode offers practical takeaways and inspiration to make a difference.
Resources & Links Mentioned
- Lyndsy's Dissertation
- The Blue Envelope Project
- Careers at Apollo Behavior
- Lyndsy's appearance on The Beyond the Science Podcast
This episode is brought to you by the following sponsors:
- Frontera. Consider taking a demo of Frontera's Assessment Builder and see how the ethical application of AI technologies can help you serve clients and save you time! Your first assessment report is free. And if you use code BOP25 you’ll get an additional five assessments for just $100. So head to fronterahealth.com to check it out!
- HRIC Recruting. Cut out the middleman and speak directly with Barbara Voss, who's been placing BCBAs in great jobs all across the US for 15 years.
- CEUs from Behavioral Observations. Learn from your favorite podcast guests while you're commuting, walking the dog, or whatever else you do while listening to podcasts. New events are being added all the time, so check them out here.
- The Behavioral Toolbox. Check out our courses for school-based and other behavioral professionals, including our newest one, Motivational Interviewing: Getting Educator Buy-In.
- The inaugural ABA CON CEU cruise, which launches on Royal Caribbean’s Wonder of the Seas from February 16–20, 2026. Learn more about this cruise here