Claim OwnershipThe ABA Speech Podcast - Easy Strategies For Parents and Professionals
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© 2025 The ABA Speech Podcast - Easy Strategies For Parents and Professionals
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Join Rose Griffin, a dedicated Speech Therapist and BCBA from ABA SPEECH, as she shares her compassionate approach to supporting the communication needs of autistic individuals. With 20 years of experience, Rose is committed to respecting and understanding the diverse ways autistic people communicate and interact with the world.
This podcast is a resource for professionals and parents alike, offering practical strategies that honor each person's unique communication style. Rose covers a wide range of topics, including how to recognize and support autistic communication from an early age, the distinctions between autism and speech differences, and effective, respectful approaches to fostering communication, whether a child is non-speaking, minimally speaking, or verbal.
Through a mix of interviews and solo episodes, Rose explores how to enhance meaningful connections, address challenges with empathy, and celebrate the strengths of autistic individuals. Whether you're a parent, therapist, or educator, you'll find valuable insights and actionable advice to create supportive environments that empower communication and honor neurodiversity.
Hit subscribe and learn more at www.abaspeech.org.
255 Episodes
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Luba Patlakh, founder and director of Kidology, Inc., shares her journey of creating a thriving pediatric practice that offers speech, occupational, physical, and ABA therapy. Four years ago, she expanded her clinic to include ABA services, recognizing that behavior is the “glue” connecting all other disciplines and a crucial way to continue supporting clients as they age out of early intervention. Luba walks us through the process of credentialing, applying, and setting up systems to accept ...
Lily Darnell and Sarah Varillas of Inner Circle Autism Network are using a telehealth behavioral parent training model to support families in a powerful new way. Their approach helps parents gain the tools and confidence to use ABA strategies at home—especially when traditional, clinic-based services may not be accessible. For many families, clinic environments or long waitlists can create barriers to care. Inner Circle’s telehealth model offers a lifeline for those in transition, waiting for...
I’m so excited to celebrate 250 episodes of the podcast, and I couldn’t think of a better way than by sharing a little sneak peek into my own life. For this milestone, my 10-year-old son, Paxton—an aspiring podcaster himself—joins me to ask some fun questions about the show, my path to becoming an SLP, and a few behind-the-scenes facts you may not know. To mark this celebration, I’m also sharing links to some of our most popular and meaningful episodes. And if you haven’t yet, come join us at...
“I can’t be the only one who feels this way.” That was the thought that led Kate Swenson to use her passion for writing to share her family’s journey. Kate is the founder of Finding Cooper’s Voice and the author of Finding Cooper’s Voice and Autism Out Loud. Her work highlights that autism is a family diagnosis, and she has made it her mission to connect the community, start conversations, and give families a voice. Kate and I talk about the isolation many families feel after an autism diagno...
Erin Stern, BCBA, Founder and President of STEPS Behavioral Health, shares how her clinic takes an integrative approach by combining ABA, Speech, OT, and PT to support early learners. With a strong focus on flexibility and tailoring every goal to the individual, Erin highlights the importance of thoughtful intake and assessment, working closely with families, preparing children for school, and weaving in everyday experiences and milestones. Erin discusses the clinic’s Early Steps Program, whi...
Lindsay Watson, PT, CEO, and Co-Founder of Augment Therapy, is on a mission to blend augmented reality (AR) and virtual care to transform therapy. Augment Therapy offers interactive AR rehabilitation exercises and fun wellness games designed to encourage movement and improve outcomes at home and in person. With their ARWell PRO app, therapists can use the software during sessions and give patients free access at home, all while tracking progress through a customized, gamified platform. While ...
Thinking about becoming a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT)? There are now over 200,000 certified RBTs, and in this episode, I’m joined by Jackie Jung, an RBT currently pursuing a career in speech-language pathology. A Registered Behavior Technician is a paraprofessional who works directly with individuals receiving ABA services, implementing treatment plans under the supervision of a BCBA. Jackie shares her journey into this role and walks us through the steps to becoming certified: compl...
What is Reciprocal Imitation Training (RIT), and how can it support social communication skills? In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Jessica Osos, BCBA, to explore the definition and application of RIT—a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention (NDBI) designed to teach learners to imitate spontaneously through ongoing, play-based social interaction. Unlike structured drills, RIT is child-led and play-focused, helping to build social skills that go far beyond imitation. For many SLPs ...
Is this intervention going to make a client’s world bigger? That’s the guiding question for today’s guest, Cindy Mrotek, BCBA and LBS, founder of a.c.e therapies—a center offering Speech, OT, and ABA services, along with options for adult learners. With three locations across Illinois, a.c.e therapies focuses on skills that truly matter across the lifespan. In our conversation, Cindy shares why focusing on meaningful skills and goals is so important for increasing quality of life and “making ...
Do you feel like most CEUs aren’t very beneficial? You’re not alone—60% of my audience across the field feels the same way. That’s why I created The ABA Speech Connection CEU Membership—a program designed to foster collaboration, provide access to current research, and deliver engaging, practical CEUs that actually help you support your learners in communicating with the world. ABA Speech Connection is both ASHA and ACE approved, with a strong focus on meaningful outcomes. Since launching, ...
Dr. Erin Michaud, SLP and BCBA-D with over 20 years of experience in communication development and ABA, joins the podcast to share the groundbreaking work of The Early Markers of Autism Project—a program changing the landscape of early autism identification and intervention. This hands-on, in-person research and treatment study works with infants from both high-risk populations (siblings of children with autism, with a 20% recurrence rate) and low-risk populations. By tracking social interact...
Cindy Watson, celebrating 30 years as an SLP and making her third appearance on the podcast, returns with BCBA Ashley Snavely to share how their clinic blends multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary care. “We were missing something,” Cindy reflects. Already offering PT, OT, and Speech, their team recognized therapists needed tools to address challenging behaviors. Adding ABA was the evidence-based solution. In this episode, Cindy and Ashley discuss the early stages of collaboration—how large ...
Ron Demuesy joins me to unpack the vital and often nuanced role of school-based BCBAs. Unlike outsourced consultants, in-house BCBAs provide consistent presence, accessibility, and a deeper connection with students and staff. Ron shares key insights for success: Mind your language: Be technically accurate without drowning in jargon.Ditch the forms: Gather meaningful information through conversation, not paperwork.Focus on skill-building: Address behaviors by teaching replacement skills, not j...
On today’s episode, I’m joined by Allyson Wharam, BCBA, instructional designer, and founder of Sidekick Learning. Allyson is the creator of one of the most comprehensive and thoughtfully designed 40-hour RBT courses I’ve come across. Her background in instructional design brings a fresh and interactive approach to RBT and BCBA training. We talk about how the RBT certification has grown rapidly and why quality training is more important than ever. Allyson explains what goes into becoming an R...
Jennifer Houston joins me to share her journey from speech‑language pathologist (SLP) to dual‑credentialed SLP/Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA)—a rare “unicorn” duo found in fewer than 500 professionals worldwide. After more than two decades of diverse SLP roles, Jennifer found herself increasingly drawn to addressing challenging behaviors across her caseload. Motivated by this evolving passion and a push from her boss, she pursued BCBA certification, blending her communication experti...
We’ve made it to the final installment of my mini summer series! In today’s episode, I’m asking an important question: Do you feel valued at work? Feeling valued and building mutual trust are key ingredients for meaningful collaboration, which is essential in the work we do as providers. I’m sharing practical, collaborative phrases you can use to build trust and strengthen your professional relationships. (You’ll also find a link to a free phrase bank—a helpful part of a larger freebie I offe...
Welcome to Part 3 of my mini-series answering your burning questions! Today, we're diving into the topic of verbal imitation. When it comes to verbal imitation and echoic goals, context is everything. These goals must be functional and meaningful to the individual child in order to support communication development. As an SLP collaborating with a BCBA, and vice versa, rely on assessment tools and an SLP's robust training in speech to identify and shape functional goals. It's crucial that we p...
In this installment of minisodes, we tackle a common AAC challenge: what happens when professionals don’t agree? The BCBA recommends PECS, the SLP suggests a dynamic device… Now what? Welcome to the standard trial of non-collaborative chaos. There are plenty of barriers to AAC collaboration, but also practical steps that can lead to smoother teamwork. The first is building familiarity. AAC can feel overwhelming, but taking time to learn the basics makes collaboration more effective. One key r...
Responding with “Where’s the research for that?” may be quick, but it can strain professional relationships. Today, we’re diving into a simple framework you can start using in your school or clinic—starting tomorrow! So, how do we navigate disagreements when our training and backgrounds differ? The truth is—our way isn’t the only way. Consider this quote from the article Maintaining Professional Relationships in an Interdisciplinary Setting: Strategies for Navigating Nonbehavioral Treatment R...
There may be two sides of the IEP table, but at the end of the day, we’re all on the same team — the learner’s. I had the pleasure of chatting with Ryan Hogan, also known as @TheWorldsOkayestSchoolPsych, the creator behind the popular, lighthearted school psych meme account on Instagram. We talked about the intersection of ABA, special education, and school-based work in the social media space. Ryan shared some great insights, especially the reminder that you control your own online space. Pr...
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