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
What is Facilitated Communication? BOP Rewind | Session 199/336 | Jason Travers
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Welcome to Session 336 The Behavioral Observations Podcast. Well technically, this is actually Session 199, and I wanted to take a minute to explain why you're hearing a rebroadcast. This conversation with Dr. Jason Travers originally aired back in September of 2022, but I've decided it's worth bringing back because, unfortunately, the issues surrounding Facilitated Communication haven't gone away. In fact, if anything, they've become more relevant. Over the past several years, we've continued to see heartwarming news stories and viral social media posts featuring non-speaking autistic...
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Conducta Verbal: Cultura, Contexto y Comunicación Funcional | BOP en ESP 18 con Janet Enriquez
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
En este episodio, Miguel conversa con Janet sobre la conducta verbal desde una perspectiva práctica y cultural. A lo largo de la conversación, exploran por qué la conducta verbal sigue siendo una de las áreas más importantes —y a veces más incomprendidas— dentro del análisis de conducta y la educación. Janet comparte su trayectoria como latina, educadora, investigadora y líder en múltiples iniciativas dentro del campo, así como su experiencia trabajando con comunidades bilingües y culturalmente diversas. Juntos discuten conceptos fundamentales de la conducta verbal,...
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Essential for Living in Action: Building Meaningful Skills Through Everyday Events | Session 334 with Kristina Montgomery and Emily Beal Wilkinson
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Many behavior analysts have experienced the frustration of teaching a skill successfully in one setting only to discover that it doesn't transfer to the situations where it actually matters. In this episode, I sit down with and of Victory Academy to discuss how Essential for Living (EFL) and event-based teaching can help bridge that gap. Kristina and Emily share their professional journeys into behavior analysis and describe how discovering Dr. Patrick McGreevy's Essential for Living framework reshaped their approach to supporting learners with limited skill repertoires....
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Beyond 80% Correct: Rethinking Mastery Criteria in ABA: Session 333 with Sarah Richling & Dan Fienup
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
How do we determine when a learner has truly mastered a skill? In behavior analysis, performance criteria such as "80% correct across two sessions" have become nearly ubiquitous. Yet despite their widespread use, many practitioners may be surprised to learn that these criteria have relatively little direct empirical support. In this episode, I'm joined by Drs. Sarah Richling and Dr. Daniel Fienup to discuss the history, research, and practical implications of mastery criteria in applied behavior analysis. Drawing on their independent lines of research, Sarah and Dan examine how different...
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Helping Complex Kids Thrive Through Practical Behavioral Parenting Strategies: Jenny Demark, Linda Reinstein and Conrad Leung | Session 332
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In this episode, I’m joined by , , and to talk about their new book, . These are clinicians who’ve spent years working directly with families dealing with everything from emotion regulation challenges, to childhood anxiety, to severe behavioral challenges, and what I liked about this conversation is that it stayed extremely practical throughout. We spent a lot of time talking about their “Prepare, Teach, Motivate” framework, and how parents and professionals can think more systematically about helping kids build resilience and coping skills rather than just reacting to challenging...
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Supporting Individuals With Severe Problem Behavior Through Collaboration: Session 331 with Ben Seifert
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In Session 331, I sat down with to talk about some of the most challenging — and important — work happening in applied behavior analysis today: supporting individuals with severe problem behavior. Ben shared his journey into the field, beginning with his early experiences at Lindamood-Bell and later at under the mentorship of Carl Sundberg and others who helped shape his clinical perspective. Along the way, we discussed what originally drew him toward working with clients who many providers often avoid, and why he remains deeply committed to ensuring that all...
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Supporting Health and Wellness in Developmental Disabilities: Session 330: Brandon May, Maggie Pavone, and Kate Heersink
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In this episode, I’m joined by Drs. and , and to talk about how we can better support healthier lifestyles for individuals with developmental disabilities. We start by digging into how each of them came to this work. Maggie shares some early experiences working as a direct support professional, where she began to notice patterns between food-related variables and challenging behavior. Brandon talks about coming into behavior analysis through the health and fitness world, and seeing firsthand how difficult it was to support individuals in building healthier routines...
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Train Smarter, Not Harder: Heart Rate Zones, VO2 Max, and Better Fitness: Session 329 with Nick Green
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
In Session 329, I’m joined once again by , Ph.D., BCBA-D, who’s been doing some really interesting work at the intersection of fitness and behavior science. In this episode, Nick walks us through the basics of heart rate training zones and why simply “working out” isn’t always enough. We talk about the general recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per week, but more importantly, how to make sure that time is actually spent in the right zones—particularly Zones 2 through 4—where you’re going to see real cardiovascular benefits. From there, we get...
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Conditioning Books as Reinforcers: How to Increase Reading Engagement in Young Children: Inside JABA 26
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Episode Summary In this episode, I'm joined by , , and Lilian Morales to discuss their recent paper in JABA, . In this episode, we explore how books can function as powerful reinforcers for young children, especially in early learning and ABA contexts. We discuss how to identify when books are actually reinforcing, how to condition books as reinforcers if they’re not already, and practical strategies for incorporating them into teaching and behavior support. Key Topics Covered 1. What Makes Something a Reinforcer? Reinforcers are defined by their effect on behavior—not by intention A...
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Comportamiento, espacio y algoritmos: Análisis de la conducta recargado, BOP en Español 17 con Alejandro León
The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
Comportamiento, espacio y algoritmos: Análisis de la conducta recargado En este episodio de Espacio y Comportamiento, conversa con sobre una dimensión del comportamiento que históricamente ha sido poco explorada en nuestro campo: el espacio. Más allá de medir cuándo ocurre una conducta o cuántas veces se presenta, esta conversación propone mirar dónde ocurre, cómo nos movemos en el ambiente y cómo los patrones de acercamiento, alejamiento y trayectoria espacial organizan el comportamiento. Alejandro comparte su recorrido poco convencional desde la ingeniería y las...
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