The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria Matt Cicoria

Dr. Chris McGinnis joins me in Session 266 to talk about his work in Primary Care Behavioral Pediatrics. If you're not sure what that is, don't worry. We go over that right away and learn that this area of work sits in an important and underserved niche: The niche between the general behavioral advice dispensed by pediatricians, and intensive treatment for serious mental health challenges.
In a way, this conversation expands on something that Pat Friman brought up in our most recent interview: The idea that BCBAs are uniquely suited to provide families with this type of care. In order to provide direction to those who are interested in doing just this, Chris recently published Introduction to Primary Care Behavioral Pediatrics: A Guide for Behavior Analysts.
In our conversation, we covered:
·       His background in Behavioral Pediatrics, including his work at BoysTown (and meeting Pat Friman for the first time).
·       The motivation for writing his book.
·       The reification of psychological terms (see Skinner '45).
·       The myth of the Chemical Imbalance Hypothesis.
·       The range of behavior challenges he sees in his practice.
·       Thoughts on caregiver adherence.
·       The pros and cons of reimbursement practices, including the concierge model he has currently adopted.
·       Chris' study of Trauma-Informed Care.
·       Permissive vs. Authoritative, and how those related to adolescent mental health.... In other words, why parenting is like The Marshmallow Test.
·       Advice for the newly-minted BCBA.
This podcast is brought to you by the following:
Please welcome our newest sponsor, The New England Center for Children! I am beyond thrilled to partner with one of the oldest and well-respected ABA institutions to help them find staff to continue their mission of supporting individuals with Autism. Learn more about careers at NECC over at necc.org/jobs. ACE Approved CEUs from .... Behavioral Observations. That's right, get your CEUs while driving, walking your dog, doing the dishes, or whatever else you might have going on, all while learning from your favorite podcast guests! HRIC Recruiting. Barb Voss has been placing BCBAs in permanent positions throughout the US for just about a decade, and has been in the business more generally for 30 years. When you work with HRIC, you work directly with Barb, thereby accessing highly personalized service. So if you're about to graduate, you're looking for a change of pace, or you just want to know if the grass really is greener on the other side, head over to HRIColorado.com to schedule a confidential chat right away. The Behavioral Toolbox. thebehavioraltoolbox.com is a new education and training site that my colleagues Anika Costa and Dr. Paulie Gavoni and I have been working on for over two years. We have two courses available: our first course, Ready, Set, Consult! and our newly released course, When Not to FBA: 5 Quick Strategies for Improving Behavior in Classrooms.

Dr. Camille Kolu joins me again on the podcast, and let's just say that she came back loaded with great insights like these to share with you.
If you're not familiar with Camille, she's been on the show before (see here), and is one of the predominant voices discussing the impact of trauma, and how it interacts with what we do as Behavior Analysts.
In this episode, we discuss her recent paper in Behavior Analysis in Practice, Providing Buffers, Solving Barriers: Value‐Driven Policies and Actions that Protect Clients Today and Increase the Chances of Thriving Tomorrow.
This article is not about trauma, but instead, it's about practices and repertoires that can protect individuals from the harmful health impacts of adverse childhood experiences. We also discuss Camille's article in Operants Magazine, called, Understanding Choice, which is where that audio segment was clipped from.
If you like the work that Camille does and want more training from her, she has generously provided listeners with a discount on her training materials over at Cusp Emergence University. If you want to go deeper into this topic of Buffers and Barriers, she has not one, but two courses on it, providing both Ethics and Supervision CEUs. If you want take her other courses in the area of Trauma, you can do that too (just click here to check it out). When you do so, be sure to use the promo code summerofBOP24 to save 24% off at checkout.
Camille also created a free, 15-minute course called, The Buffers Story: Simple, Important Things We Almost Forgot, and she'll be doing a workshop later this month with Connections-Behavior.
Lastly, if you like Camille's content, perhaps the easiest way to keep up with it is to sign up for her mailing list.
Burke-Harris (2018). The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity (note: Amazon Associates link).
Kaiser ACES studies information.
Ala'i-Rosales et al. (2019). The Big Four: Functional Assessment Research Informs Preventative Behavior Analysis.
Ratey (2008). Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (note: Amazon Associates link).
Inside JABA 10: Towards Trauma-Informed Applications of Behavior Analysis.
Session 179: Behavioral Relaxation Training.
Maier and Seligman (2016). Learned helplessness at fifty: Insights from neuroscience.
In full disclosure, these are not sponsored products and events; I’m just trying to get the word out there. However, the sponsors that are responsible for bringing this episode to you include:
Please welcome our newest sponsor, The New England Center for Children! I am beyond thrilled to partner with one of the oldest and well-respected ABA institutions to help them find staff to continue their mission of supporting individuals with Autism. Learn more about careers at NECC over at necc.org/jobs. ACE Approved CEUs from .... Behavioral Observations. That's right, get your CEUs while driving, walking your dog, doing the dishes, or whatever else you might have going on, all while learning from your favorite podcast guests! The Behavioral Toolbox. thebehavioraltoolbox.com is a new education and training site that my colleagues Anika Costa and Dr. Paulie Gavoni and I have been working on for over two years. We have two courses available: our first course, Ready, Set, Consult! and our newly released course, When Not to FBA: 5 Quick Strategies for Improving Behavior in Classrooms. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout! 

Did you rate and review Behavioral Observations on Apple Podcasts?
You rated and reviewed Behavioral Observations on Apple Podcasts, right?
John Borrero told me that you rated and reviewed Behavioral Observations on Apple Podcasts. Is that true?
Did you rate and review Behavioral Observations on Apple Podcasts? Again, did you rate and review Behavioral Observations on Apple Podcasts?
If you've ever watched a police procedural show on television, you're probably noticed that there are different ways to phrase questions to people. I've just given you a few examples that will be salient to the forthcoming discussion.
And, all kidding aside, if you haven't done so already, if you enjoy what we do here, head over to Apple Podcasts and kindly leave a rating and review of the show.
In the 19th installment of Behavioral Observations' Inside JABA Series, Dr. John Borrero and I discuss a paper in the most recent issue called, Idiosyncratic effects of interviewer behavior on the accuracy of children’s responses, with its authors: Milad Najafichaghabouri, Dr. Ray Joslyn, and Emma Preston.
Here's some additional background on our guests:
Dr. Ray Joslyn is currently an assistant professor in the psychology department at West Virginia University. He has research interests in group contingencies, behavior analysis in education, and crime and delinquency.
Milad Najafichaghabouri is a doctoral student in the Disability Disciplines program at Utah State University specializing in ABA. His primary research interests include group contingency-based intervention in the classroom, and social validity practices in research
Emma Preston is currently a graduate student in the Disabilities Disciplines program at Utah State University specializing in ABA. Her research and practice interests include the Good Behavior Game, manipulating parameters of reinforcement to improve intervention outcomes, and Tier 3 school-based interventions.
I'll refrain from spoiling the discussion here, but there are a few things to note. First, this is the first time we've discussed a replication in the Inside JABA Series, and John dons his Editor in Chief hat for a few minutes at the end and discusses the importance of replication studies in general, and what makes for good replication more specifically.
Second, this topic - describing the conditions in which children do and do not report incidents accurately - has huge implications. From schools, to child services, to law enforcement, understanding the potential influences of phrasing questions and acknowledging responses could be crucial contributions in these areas.
Third, this study featured a clever assent procedure that again, I won't spoil here, but it's worth tuning into.
And lastly, we get into all sorts of nitty-gritty details, including some of the participants' unexpected responses to the experimental procedure... and these are the things that generally do not make the printed page that you can only get in these types of conversations.
This podcast, along with all of the Inside JABA Series ones, is eligible for continuing education. If you've never gotten CEUs from Behavioral Observations before, it's really easy. Just listen to the episode, go to behavioralobservations.com/get-ceus, make purchase... and fun fact: there are great discounts available if you need to snap up many CEUs, take a quiz, and you're good to go.

El Análisis de Conducta en Venezuela: Un legado finalmente reconocido con Corina Jimenez-Gomez, Mirari Elcoro y Amalix Flores
 
No una, ni dos, sino 3 venezolanas rindiendo tributo al legado de Venezolanos en nuestra ciencia del análisis de conducta. Un legado del cual (siendo Venezolano) desconocía y que gracias a ellas tengo ahora el privilegio y orgullo de conocer y que será reconocido en nuestra comunidad a través del artículo que publicaron en la revista Behavior Analysis in Practice (Análisis de Conducta en la Práctica). Una conversación de 2 horas que les recomiendo sean Venezolanos, Iberoamericanos y/o simplemente, como nuestras invitadas y coautores de este artículo, estudiantes de nuestra historia. Mirar atrás trajo muchas reflexiones, no solo acerca de un legado importante, sino también del estado actual del análisis de conducta y su posible futuro. Importante reconocimiento a las mujeres fundadoras y líderes del análisis de conducta en Venezuela, a las idiosincrasias de los Venezolanos ‘echados pa’lante’, recursivos y pluralistas; a la dedicación y vocación de tantas personas, finalmente publicado en un producto permanente. Gracias Corina, Mirari y Amalix, ‘se me agua el guarapo’.
 
Behavior Analysis in Venezuela: A legacy finally recognized with Corina Jimenez-Gomez, Mirari Elcoro and Amalix Flores
 
Not one, not two, but 3 Venezuelans paying tribute to the legacy of Venezuelans in our science of behavior analysis. A legacy that (being Venezuelan) I was unaware of and that thanks to them I now have the privilege and pride of knowing and that will be recognized in our community through the article they published in Behavior Analysis in Practice. A 2-hour conversation that I recommend wether you are Venezuelans, Ibero-Americans and/or simply, like our guests and co-authors of this article, students of our history. Looking back brought many reflections, not only about an important legacy, but also about the current state of behavior analysis and its possible future. Important recognition to the founding women and leaders of behavioral analysis in Venezuela, to the idiosyncrasies of Venezuelans 'echados pa’lante', recursive and pluralistic; to the dedication and vocation of so many people, finally published in a permanent product. Thanks Corina, Mirari and Amalix, 'se me agua el guarapo'.

Dr. Pat Friman returns to discuss the Behavior Analytic approaches he uses with patients. In this episode, we harken way back to Session 16, and review some of what we know about Anxiety and Depression, which are the most common forms of mental health distress.
Pat talks about how he conceptualizes these challenges, what he does in the first session with patients, his general approach to treatment, the role of medications, his view on when to begin or cease therapy, important therapist characteristics like kindness, compassion, and acceptance, and lots more!
Here are links to the references we spoke about:
Pat's earlier appearances on the BOP. Pat's CEU previous CEU events: Session 16 (ethics) and Session 42. Friman, Hayes, and Wilson (1998). Why Behavior Analysts Should Study Emotion: The example of Anxiety. Hayes and Smith (2005). Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life (disclosure: Amazon Associate link). Haidt (2024). The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness (disclosure: Amazon Associate link). Session 227: Decreasing Social Media Use with Contingency Management, Inside JABA 15. This podcast is brought to you by:
ACE Approved CEUs from .... Behavioral Observations. That's right, get your CEUs while driving (even this episode!), walking your dog, doing the dishes, or whatever else you might have going on, all while learning from your favorite podcast guests! The Behavioral Toolbox. thebehavioraltoolbox.com is a new education and training site that my colleagues Anika Costa and Dr. Paulie Gavoni and I have been working on for over two years. We have two courses available: our first course, Ready, Set, Consult! and our newly released course, When Not to FBA: 5 Quick Strategies for Improving Behavior in Classrooms. Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their brand new 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Love the podcast, but would l

Entrevistas Motivacionales con la Dra. Monica Gilbert 

Aunque la entrevista motivacional nació del contexto psicoterapéutico y de rehabilitación en relación a dependencias y abuso de sustancias, hoy en día se utiliza como un estilo de comunicación para establecer relaciones terapéuticas y profesionales en varios contextos con un espíritu de colaboración y empoderamiento en dirección al cambio.
Los analistas de conducta estamos reconociendo que, sin ser esa nuestra intención, nuestra comunicación al brindar nuestros servicios en algunos casos puede ser coercitiva. Esto resulta en respuestas defensivas y resistencia a nuestras recomendaciones. 
Espero que este enfoque y las recomendaciones prácticas de la Dra Gilbert no solo llamen a la reflexión acerca de nuestra propia conducta sino que despierten curiosidad acerca de un área de competencia que a muchos de nosotros nos hace falta desarrollar.

Motivational Interviewing with Dr. Monica Gilbert

Although motivational interviewing was born from the psychotherapeutic and rehabilitation context in relation to dependencies and substance abuse, today it is used as a communication style to establish therapeutic and professional relationships in various contexts with a spirit of collaboration and empowerment in the direction of change. 
Behavior analysts are recognizing that, without this being our intention, our communication when providing our services can in some cases be coercive. This results in defensive responses and resistance to our recommendations.
I hope that this approach and Dr. Gilbert's practical recommendations not only call for reflection on our own behavior but also spark curiosity about an area of competence that many of us need to develop.
https://motivationalinterviewing.org
www.drmonicagilbert.com