🎙️ Podcast Summary: “In the Field” – Group Supervision Part 1 Hosted by Allyson Wharram 🎧 Episode Overview: In this solo episode, Alison War introduces the first part of a two-part series on group supervision in BCBA fieldwork, based on her workshop at the National APBA Convention. She covers group supervision’s definition, benefits, challenges, and strategies. 🧩 What is Group Supervision? A supervised meeting with up to 10 trainees, regardless of supervisors present.Must be inter...
Episode Description In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I talk with Rose Griffin, founder of ABA Speech and one of fewer than 500 professionals dually certified as a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). Rose shares how her interdisciplinary experience has shaped her approach to supporting autistic learners and building more collaborative teams across clinical and educational settings. We discuss the misconceptions that often divide SL...
🎙️ In This Episode of Supervision Stories In the kickoff episode of our Supervision Stories series, I chat with Lindsay Milnes, a newly certified BCBA who took a creative, values-driven approach to her fieldwork experience. Lindsay shares how she turned challenges—like low client hours and limited access to unrestricted activities—into opportunities to apply ABA to her own life and build confidence along the way. We talk about how she found the right-fit supervisor, used self-management and A...
In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I chat with Mellanie Page, CEO of The ABA Collective and Executive VP of Operations at ABS Kids. Mellanie brings a rare blend of clinical and operational insight to the world of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), offering a practical and accessible approach to making meaningful change from within ABA organizations. Key Topics: From Clinical to Operational Leadership: Mellanie shares how her unexpected transition into operations led her...
In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, host Allyson Wharam continues her conversation with Liz Matthews, CEO of EMG Consulting. After exploring burnout and personal evolution in Part 1, this episode dives into what that evolution looks like in practice—through hiring, supervision, equity, and organizational design. Liz shares how she’s built a workplace that prioritizes flexibility without sacrificing quality, and how leadership grounded in values, boundaries, and honest conversati...
In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, host Allyson Wharam sits down with Liz Matthews, CEO and founder of EMG Consulting, for a raw, honest conversation about burnout, identity, and what it really means to do values-driven work in behavior analysis. From being one of the first dozen BCBAs® in Virginia to navigating insurance reform, motherhood, and personal evolution, Liz shares how reconnecting with her values—and a supportive community—helped her reshape not just her mindset, bu...
Episode Title: Expanding BCBA® Careers: Supporting Diverse Practice Paths in ABA with Nicole Parks Host: Allyson Wharam, Creator of Sidekick Learning Guest: Nicole Parks, Chief Visionary Officer at Rooted Consultation In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, host Allyson Wharam sits down with Nicole Parks, Chief Visionary Officer at Rooted Consultation, to challenge the status quo of applied behavior analysis. Together, they explore how BCBA®s can move beyond traditional autism thera...
Podcast Episode: Building Ethical, Sustainable ABA Businesses with April and Stephen Smith In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I chat with April and Stephen Smith of 3 Pie Squared, two seasoned ABA entrepreneurs who built, scaled, and exited a seven-figure practice—and now dedicate their time to helping others do the same. Whether you're a BCBA navigating job offers or a founder shaping your company culture, this episode is packed with insights about building workplaces that are...
🎙️ In the Field: The ABA Podcast Episode 26: Supporting Executive Functioning for Staff & Supervisees with Amy Theobold In this episode, I chat with Amy Theobold—clinic owner and executive functioning coach—about how executive functioning challenges show up in our staff and supervisees. From lateness and missed deadlines to overwhelm and burnout, Amy walks us through how she shifted from frustration to system-building, and how you can too. We talk about supporting—not rescuing—staff...
Podcast Episode: Upgrading Your ABA Intake Interviews: Staff Skills, Systems, and Clinical Decisions with Dr. Kristen Byra In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Kristen Byra, seasoned clinician and founder of Upskill ABA, to dig into one of the most critical—and often overlooked—components of clinical practice: the intake assessment. Kristen shares how standardizing this process through decision models can improve both clinical outcomes and staff performance, w...
In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sit down with Matt Harrington, founder of the Behaviorist Book Club, to explore the essential role of research literacy in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Mathew shares his journey from clinical work to developing resources that help behavior analysts access and apply research effectively. He introduces practical frameworks, like his "Key Places Framework," designed to make research more accessible and actionable for busy practitioners. Key...
Navigating School-Based ABA and Supervision with Jennifer Spilewski In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I’m joined by Jennifer Spilewski, a BCBA with over 20 years of experience working in school-based settings. Jennifer shares her unique journey from being a special education teacher to becoming a district-level BCBA, offering valuable insights into how behavior analysts can navigate the school environment while providing effective supervision. Key Topics: Transitioning to Scho...
Podcast Episode: Collaboration in School-Based ABA with Bailey Payne In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sit down with Bailey Payne, a BCBA and educator with vast experience in school-based ABA. We dive into how she transitioned from clinical work to focusing on supporting schools and teachers through behavior analytic strategies. Bailey also shares insights from her recently published book, which focuses on making ABA principles accessible to teachers and parents. Key Topics:...
Guest: Dominique Shorter Taylor, BCBA, Founder of Dom the BCBA Mom and Shorter-Taylor Behavior Consulting Actionable Steps Based on the Episode: For Behavior Analysts: Identify Personal Biases: Reflect on your own biases and how they might affect your work with clients. Make a habit of self-assessment to ensure you’re providing culturally responsive care.Engage with Families: Ask families about their values, preferences, and how they feel about the diagnosis. Use this information to tailor in...
Guest: Angie Pickering is the founder of Tracker!, a tool designed to simplify supervision and documentation for ABA professionals. Angie's experience with supervision led her to create Tracker, aiming to streamline the documentation process and support both trainees and supervisors in meeting compliance requirements effectively. Key Takeaways: Supervision Requirements:Minimum of 20 hours and maximum of 130 hours per month.At least four contacts per month, with one observation with a client.5...
Guest Introduction: Courtney Domingue is the founder of Success Shaping and a BCBA supervisor. Success Shaping offers remote supervision, consulting supervision, and continuing education for BCBAs and trainees. Courtney emphasizes a well-rounded, flexible approach to ABA supervision. Key Takeaways: Flexible Supervision ApproachImportance of Multiple PerspectivesPsychological SafetyContinuous LearningGrassroots and Systemic ChangeIncremental ChangeConnect with Courtney Success Shaping: success...
Annie McLaughlin is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and an Individualized Education Program (IEP) advocate. She supports other BCBAs in transitioning into the realm of IEP advocacy. In this episode, we cover: Career Journey: Annie's path from special education teacher to BCBA and IEP advocate, emphasizing the diverse experiences that shaped her expertise.Effective Support: Importance of BCBAs understanding the educational system to better support parents in IEP meetings.Training Pro...
Welcome back to "In the Field"! In this episode, I'm super excited to chat with Dr. Katie Garza and Dr. Becky Eldridge. We're diving into their article, "Some Tools for Carrying Out a Proposed Process for Supervising Experience Hours for Aspiring Board Certified Behavior Analysts," published in Behavior Analysis in Practice. Here’s the scoop on what we chat about in this episode: Common barriers to effective supervision and the reality that we are faced with as supervisorsKey tools that you ...
Join us as we delve into the nuances of compassionate parent training with BCBA Leanne Page from Parenting with ABA. In this episode, we explore how combining empathy with actionable strategies can transform parent training, enhancing both the practice and its outcomes AND how to support trainees and new BCBAs in developing these skills. Here's what we're exploring: How compassionate parent training is different from other approachesUtilizing tools and resources like the Compassionate C...
In this episode of "In the Field," I'm thrilled to chat with Priscilla Rodriguez Haros, a BCBA and passionate advocate for integrating reading and personal development into the practice of ABA. Here's what we cover: Embracing a Mentorship Role: Priscilla shares her insights on the importance of clear boundaries in mentorship and how it enhances the supervision process. Continuous Learning Through Literature: Dive into how reading widely can foster growth and bring innovative perspectives to o...