ABA training breaks down when it treats fieldwork like a checkbox instead of a skill-building system. Allyson Wharam, founder and CEO of Sidekick Learning, shares a smarter way to design supervision and competency development so learners actually build confidence and skill.

With Ally, Christina Torres and Nicole Stewart dig into why so many supervisees struggle through ABA fieldwork, what gets lost when training focuses on the exam, and h

Key Topics:

• Common barriers to effective BCBA fieldwork opportunities
• Why ABA training often fails to build real-world competence
• The gap between exam prep and clinical readiness
• How retrieval practice and frequent responding improve learning
• Why supervision time should focus on application, not lectures
• Breaking complex ABA skills into teachable parts
• Helping trainees connect data, graphs, and decision-making

About Allyson Wharam:Allyson Wharam, Ed.D., BCBA, is the Founder and CEO of Sidekick Learning, an integrated learning platform focused on improving training, supervision, and competency development in ABA organizations.She earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on instructional design and technology from the University of Virginia and has over a decade of experience in the field. Her work centers on helping organizations move beyond seat time to real skill development, drawing on both behavior analysis and learning science to support clinicians and supervisors in building more effective, practical, competency-based training systems.She also hosts In the Field: The ABA Podcast, where she explores supervision, training, and leadership in behavior analysis.

Find Allyson and Sidekick Learning:

• Linked In: Allyson Wharam
• Instagram: Sidekick Learning
• Website: Sidekick Learning

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Season 3 of Reinforcing Conversations is made possible with support from the New England Center for Children — for over 50 years, the worldwide leader in autism education and research. Through their schools, clinics, consulting services, and the ACE ABA Software System, they are shaping a more inclusive future for all. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠⁠necc.org⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Keywords: BCBA supervision, ABA fieldwork, instructional design, ABA training, competency development, supervisee support, RBT training, clinical supervision, learning science, retrieval practice, graph review, behavior analysis

Nicole and Christina welcome BCBA Ryan Baker-Barrett, who specializes in ADHD and executive functioning, for a conversation that hits close to home for all three hosts. Ryan shares the winding path to his own diagnosis at 37, the misconceptions that let him fly under the radar for years, and how building an ADHD household with his husband and two neurodivergent kids has shaped his approach to accommodations. The three dig into late diagnosis in adulthood (especially for women), the role of medication, time blindness, hyperfocus, and why so many of our systems, from school planners to token boards, are built for brains that don't work like this. Ryan also talks about the gamified trainings he's created to help other BCBAs actually understand ADHD instead of just working around it. It's a candid, funny, and honestly overdue conversation about what happens when the field designed for one population starts serving many more.

Key Topics:

• Getting an ADHD diagnosis in adulthood
• Common misconceptions about ADHD (hyperactive vs. inattentive)
• Time blindness, hyperfocus, and executive functioning
• ADHD medication and behavioral support working together
• Building ADHD-friendly homes, schools, and BCBA training
• Expanding ABA's scope of practice beyond autism

About Ryan Baker-Barrett:

Ryan Baker-Barrett, MS, BCBA is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who brings an uncommon combination of perspectives to ADHD intervention: 10+ years as a BCBA, parent of two children with ADHD, and someone diagnosed with ADHD himself at age 37.

That diagnosis changed everything. Ryan realized the field's training hadn't prepared him to recognize ADHD in himself or to truly help his clients. He saw how behavior analysis had become synonymous with autism intervention, leaving the ADHD population underserved and approached with compliance-focused methods that missed the underlying executive function deficits.

Now, Ryan specializes in ADHD support through his San Diego-based company Applied Behavioral Health Practice. He trains behavior analysts through Breakthrough ADHD Training for Behavior Analysts. His approach asks a simple but transformative question: "How would I want someone to approach me in this situation?" The results are interventions that build capability instead of compliance, honor neurodiversity, and address what's actually happening in ADHD brains.

Find Ryan and his work:

• Client-facing: ⁠getadhd.care⁠

• BCBA training: ⁠appliedbehavioral.health⁠

• Instagram: ⁠@adhd_by_abhp⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠linkedin.com/in/ryan-baker-barrett⁠

• YouTube: ⁠@appliedbhp⁠

Like, subscribe, and share — it's the best way to support the work we're doing:

• 📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠@reinforcing.conversations⁠⁠⁠⁠
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• 🎥 ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 📧 ⁠⁠⁠⁠rf.conversations@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 🌐 ⁠⁠⁠⁠supervisionreimagined.com⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 🌐⁠⁠⁠⁠ABA Made Ez⁠⁠⁠

Season 3 of Reinforcing Conversations is made possible with support from the New England Center for Children — for over 50 years, the worldwide leader in autism education and research. Through their schools, clinics, consulting services, and the ACE ABA Software System, they are shaping a more inclusive future for all. Learn more at ⁠⁠⁠necc.org⁠⁠⁠.

Keywords: ADHD, executive functioning, BCBA, ABA therapy, applied behavior analysis, autism, neurodivergent, late diagnosis ADHD, adult ADHD, ADHD in women, time blindness, hyperfocus, ADHD medication, ADHD accommodations, ADHD parenting, behavior analyst training, rejection sensitive dysphoria, scope of practice, New England Center for Children

In this episode, Jamie Pagliaro shares his inspiring journey from art history to leading innovative autism diagnosis technology at EarliPoint. Discover how cutting-edge eye tracking technology is transforming early autism detection, the importance of early intervention, and the future of tech in autism care. In this insightful interview, Jamie Pagliaro shares his journey in healthcare technology, focusing on early diagnosis of autism, the importance of objective testing, and innovative approaches like music therapy. Discover how technology is transforming access to care, reducing wait times, and empowering families and practitioners.

Key Topics

• Jamie Pagliaro's career path from art history to autism tech
• Development and impact of EarliPoint eye tracking technology
• The importance of early detection and intervention in autism
• FDA clearance process and clinical validation of autism diagnostic tools Objective medical testing for autism
• Impact of technology on early diagnosis
• Music therapy and autism support

About Jamie Pagliaro: Jamie is the President and CEO of EarliPoint Health, where he focuses on expanding access to earlier and more objective approaches to autism diagnosis and assessment using FDA-cleared eye-tracking technology. He has spent his career building and leading healthcare and education technology organizations, with experience spanning strategy, growth, and operations. Jamie is particularly passionate about reducing barriers for families and providers, and about translating innovative science into practical tools that can make a meaningful real-world impact.

• Website: https://earlipointhealth.com/

• LinkedIn: Jamie Pagliaro
• LinkedIn: EarliPoint Health

Like, subscribe, and share — it's the best way to support the work we're doing:

• 📸 ⁠⁠⁠@reinforcing.conversations⁠⁠⁠
• 📘 ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠
• 🎥 ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠
• 📧 ⁠⁠⁠rf.conversations@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠
• 🌐 ⁠⁠⁠supervisionreimagined.com⁠⁠⁠
• 🌐⁠⁠⁠ABA Made Ez⁠⁠

Season 3 of Reinforcing Conversations is made possible with support from the New England Center for Children — for over 50 years, the worldwide leader in autism education and research. Through their schools, clinics, consulting services, and the ACE ABA Software System, they are shaping a more inclusive future for all. Learn more at ⁠⁠necc.org⁠⁠.

Keywords:

autism diagnosis, early intervention, eye tracking technology, autism research, healthcare innovation, EarlyPoint, ABA, neuroplasticity, FDA clearance, autism support autism diagnosis, healthcare technology, early intervention, objective testing, music therapy, access to care, FDA standards, behavioral health, innovation in healthcare