Welcome to Season 2 of Reinforcing Conversations, made possible with support from New England Center for ChildrenIn this episode of Reinforcing Conversations, hosts Christina Torres and Nicole Stewart discuss the importance of reflection in personal and professional growth, particularly for behavior analysts. They explore the significance of self-awareness, accountability, and the role of community in fostering development. The conversation also touches on the Dunning-Kruger effect, the value of mentorship, and the necessity of adaptability in practice. Listeners are encouraged to embrace mistakes as learning opportunities and to actively engage in their own growth journeys.Learning Objectives:

1. Behavior analysts will identify the importance of self-awareness in the role of accountability as a behavior analyst.

2. Behavior analysts will learn questions to ask themselves to increase accountability in practice and promote self-growth.

3. Behavior analysts will identify personal barriers and challenges they may face related to their own growth as a clinician.

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• Friedman, Z. L., & El-Roy, D. (2024). Exploring Interprofessional and Self-Compassion Competencies for Applied Behavior Analysis Professionals: A Qualitative Study. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1-14.
• Penney, A. M., Bateman, K. J., Veverka, Y., Luna, A., & Schwartz, I. S. (2023). Compassion: The eighth dimension of applied behavior analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1-15.

We’re covering a very uncomfortable topic today: Punishment procedures in ABA. There are a lot of reasons why people are Anti-ABA, and punishment is just one of them. Christina and Nicole discuss the history of punishment in ABA including the most controversial punishment procedure, known as Contingent Electric Skin Shock. We’ll talk about how punishment is meant to be used in ABA, why families might get to this point, and red flags all team members should look for when considering punishment.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe the ethical concerns associated with the historical and current use of punishment procedures in ABA, including more extreme uses of punishment.
2. Differentiate between ethical and unethical applications of punishment procedures within ABA, including the misuse of punishment and the lack of informed consent, assent, and least-restrictive alternatives.
3. Identify best practices that behavior analysts, team members, and families should consider when punishment procedures are proposed, with an emphasis on upholding client dignity, safety, and social validity.

Link to Podcast Referenced: Least of These Podcast, Episode 34: The Shocking Truth Part #7 - A Survivor Speaks

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Citations for this episode:

Cooper, J. O., Heron, T. E., & Heward, W. L. (2019). Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd ed.). Pearson Education.

Leah Dee (Host). (2021, September 23). The “Shocking” Truth – A Survivor Speaks: Part 7 (Ep. 34) [Audio podcast episode]. In Least of These. Tiny Ranch Productions.

Ruhalter, K. (2023, September 11). Electric shock therapy is still allowed in one Mass. treatment facility—Advocates say change is long overdue. All Things Considered, WGBH News. Retrieved from WGBH website

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, May 19). Judge Rotenberg Center. In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 19, 2025, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judge_Rotenberg_Center

Another rebroadcast of a live webinar! This time, Christina is joined by Attorney James J. Hux all about employee rights and the sticky situations ABA professionals want to be aware of. This episode of Labor Laws Made Easy is the first in a 4-part series available on behavior Live and focuses on wages and hours laws. Join Christina, Attorney Hux and Nicole to learn more about how employers and employees can protect themselves and ensure fair, legal practices.

Disclaimer: This episode is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Labor laws vary by state—please consult a licensed attorney for guidance specific to your situation.

Purchase the webinar & CEUs here

• Describe the potential legal and financial consequences (e.g., fines, lawsuits, audits) for misclassifying workers or failing to follow wage laws.

• Understand both employer and employee rights when it comes to wages, classification, and benefits — and learn how to respond ethically and legally if those rights are violated.

• • Recognize how withholding pay, improper deductions, or delayed payments can create ethical and legal risks for businesses and negatively affect employee well-being

  
  

  About James J. Hux: James J. Hux is an employment law attorney based out of Ohio. His passion lies in making sure that everyone’s voice is being heard. A graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law, Hux started his own law practice in 2017 specializing in workers rights.

  Find him: @attorneyhux on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn

  http://huxlawfirm.com/

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This episode of the podcast crosses over into Nicole & Christina's original partnership: The ADHD Exchange. The ADHD Exchange is a series of workshops designed to provide in-depth knowledge and practical strategies for supporting individuals with ADHD. This specific session focuses on working collaboratively with parents.

This topic is designed to reshape the way behavior analysts, and other clinicians approach parent coaching. Rooted in a low-dosage ABA model and informed by real-world practice with families of children with ADHD and other neurodivergent profiles, this episode emphasizes collaboration, compassion, and practicality. This episode is a must for parents or caregivers who are unsure of what to expect in "parent training" or who are not getting the support they are looking for.

Learning Objectives:

1. Describe strategies to build collaborative partnerships with parents that align intervention goals with family values and visions, and uphold neurodiversity-affirming practices.

2. Apply ABA techniques within parent coaching to promote sustainable behavior change and inform skill acquisition targets in direct therapy for clearer cohesive programming across the board.

3. Analyze ethical and compassionate practices for supporting parents of neurodivergent children while respecting family autonomy and cultural differences.

Purchase the webinar & CEUs here

Check out the rest of the ADHD Exchange on BehaviorLive!

Resources & Citations:

Marchese, N.V., Weiss, M.J. Supporting Behavior Analysts in Providing Compassionate Care: The Development of the Parent Partnership Questionnaire (PPQ). Behav Analysis Practice (2023). https://doi-org.proxy.wexler.hunter.cuny.edu/10.1007/s40617-023-00827-8

https://activeparenting.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AP4-SURVEY-1.pdf

Fogg, B. J. (2020). Tiny habits: The small changes that change everything. Harvest.

https://livesinthebalance.org/our-solution/

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This episode of Reinforcing Conversations features our very first guest, none other than Nicole’s newly minted 11-year old son, Jack. Jack will share his mental health journey, what he has found supportive in the classroom, and ways in which having a behaviorist for a mom is great and not-so-great. He is articulate, transparent and comes equipped with some gen alpha words and laughs. He and Nicole highlight how to build a relationship with empathy, acceptance and humor, even when Nicole’s parenting is less-than-perfect.

Christina and Nicole will share their thoughts on Jack’s journey, adding layers of recommendations for parents and providers alike. Join Christina, Nicole and Jack to learn from their experiences.

About our guest: Jack is an 11 year old who loves baseball, space, robotics, music and more. He has a spirited personality and has been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety and giftedness. He demonstrates high emotional intelligence, and enjoys speaking about his experience as a neurodivergent child. He hopes to help adults understand children more.

Learning Objectives:

1. Behavior Analysts will identify the ways in which adults provide verbal and non-verbal cues, both positive and not positive to children/clients.

2. Behavior Analysts will pinpoint advantages and potential disadvantages of combining medication with behavioral therapy.

3. Behavior Analysts will recognize stressors and potential strategies that may be helpful for supporting families in the home setting

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Pre-recorded at ABAI, join Nicole & Christina for this in-person talk about why they love conferences. We recommend that everyone attends professional development conferences, and especially those involved in ABA spaces. Here our advice for getting the most out of the actual event, and the travel opportunity for the ultimate and always-desired work-life balance. Line dancing? DC architecture? Networking? Career opportunities? Conferences have it all!

Even more, we also share exciting news:

New England Center for Children is the Visionary Founding Sponsor for Reinforcing Conversations.

We are so excited to partner with them (listen why!) and the ACE ABA Software. If you haven't checked them out, head over to acenecc.org ASAP!

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In this episode of Reinforcing Conversations, we take a closer look at the clinical setting in ABA. Clinical settings offer a controlled environment where treatment plans can be delivered with high fidelity, allowing for measurable outcomes and clear data patterns. For clients, this often translates into consistent routines and well-tracked progress. For behavior analysts, it can be a space where the science of behavior analysis shines—where skills, graphs, and outcomes align with intention and design.

But while the clinical model has many strengths, it’s not without its challenges. Nicole and Christina explore both the promise and the pitfalls of clinical work, offering a balanced, honest look at what it means to practice ABA in this setting—for professionals, for families, and most importantly, for clients.

Learning Objectives:

1. Behavior Analysts will identify how the clinical setting creates optimal conditions for high treatment fidelity.

2. Behavior Analysts will explore drawbacks of providing treatment in the clinical setting, and how to overcome those drawbacks.

3. Behavior Analysts will learn actionable ways to establish relationships with caregivers and other stakeholders when providing treatment in a clinical setting.

In this episode of Reinforcing Conversations, we start our journey through different ABA settings. We’re starting with one of the most common, and most challenging settings - home-based ABA. How do BCBAs and RBTs successfully collaborate with parents, caregivers and family members to blend home-based ABA with family life successfully? Learning Objectives:

1. Behavior Analysts will identify the barriers in place for each person within the home-team setting.

2. Behavior Analysts will explore strategies to set their home-teams up for success.

3. Behavior Analysts will learn actionable ways to show compassion and create a positive culture when providing in home ABA therapy

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Find Nicole over at supervisionreimagined.com

Find Christina over at abamadeEZ.com