ABA Dogma and the Witch Hunt for Junk Science matters because it changes what a BCBA notices when decisions have to hold up in joint consultation, shared care planning, school-team communication, and interdisciplinary handoffs. In ABA Dogma and the Witch Hunt for Junk Science, for this course, the practical stakes show up in clearer roles, fewer duplicated efforts, and better coordinated intervention, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Verbal Beginnings
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Join Free →Behavior analysts often report extreme discomfort when coordinating care with ancillary providers, such as speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists. This discomfort stems from the application of pseudo scientific interventions commonly employed by disciplines other than ABA. Examples of pseudo science include, but are not limited to; facilitated communication, non-speech oral motor exercises, and sensory diets. This is often counter intuitive to the evidence-based foundation of ABA. Discussions related to pseudo scientific approaches can sometimes become confrontational and inhibit the employment of best practices. This presentation will focus on how to identify pseudo scientific practices and outline strategies to promote productive conversation with providers that commonly utilize these treatments.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
Ben Sarcia joined Verbal Beginnings as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2015. He has served as the Clinical Director of the Healthy Beginnings Behavioral Feeding Program since the program’s inception in 2016. Ben began his experience with the treatment of pediatric feeding disorders at the Southeastern Pennsylvania Autism Resource Center as a graduate student. After completing a master’s degree in clinical psychology, Ben went on to work as a behavior analyst in the Feeding Disorders Continuum at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, MD. Ben’s research interests include functional analysis of inappropriate mealtime behavior, as well as exploring the long-term outcomes of children treated for food refusal utilizing an applied behavior analytic approach. He is also the father of two boys and enjoys lake trips with his family whenever time allows.
Dig into the research behind this topic — plain-English summaries written for BCBAs.
279 research articles with practitioner takeaways
258 research articles with practitioner takeaways
252 research articles with practitioner takeaways
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All behavior-analytic intervention is individualized. The information on this page is for educational purposes and does not constitute clinical advice. Treatment decisions should be informed by the best available published research, individualized assessment, and obtained with the informed consent of the client or their legal guardian. Behavior analysts are responsible for practicing within the boundaries of their competence and adhering to the BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts.