BCBA Supervision Online - Behavior Blog

In my last blog, I reviewed the basics of motivating operations. My hope is that after reading it, the concept of unconditioned motivating operations (UMOs) is now clear to everyone. Before stepping into the realm of CMOs, I am going to first review the differences between MOs and discriminative stimuli (SDs). Many may think this is a simple discrimination, but I have found that it is not. Let’s start with the flow chart that we used in the UMO discussion: MO

Prior to being trained in ABA, I worked as an outpatient psychotherapist specializing in behavioral issues in children. I had spent years working with children and their families devising simplistic behavior plans based on the idea of consistent rewards and punishments for particular behaviors. I was a competent therapist with years of experience and many of these plans, while rudimentary, were effective. But, some were not. In retrospect, it is clear that my plans that we

As a BCBA, you are in the job of helping to change people's behavior. Many have hopes that you will be a miracle worker who appears, waves a wand or sprinkles some magic dust and the behavior just disappears. Sadly, this is not the case. Helping someone change their behavior is a complex and challenging endeavor. As a behavior consultant in a school system, I many times find teachers seeking a panacea. They want an effective behavior plan that is going to rapidly change a

Hope springs eternal at the beginning of the school year. Teachers are refreshed. Students are excited. This is bound to be the best year yet! While each portion of the school year holds its unique challenges, the beginning of the school year is one of the most important times. It is when we lay the foundation of the entire school community. During the first few weeks of school, for many classrooms, a mysterious phenomenon occurs where student behavior is all but perfect.