The Young & the Wired: Building the Future of ABA belongs in serious BCBA study because it shapes whether behavior-analytic decisions stay useful once they leave a clean training example and enter supervision meetings, staff training, clinic systems, and performance review. In The Young & the Wired: Building the Future of ABA, for this course, the practical stakes show up in better performance, lower drift, and more sustainable team development, not in abstract discussion alone.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Florida Association of Behavior Analysis
Take This Course →Including ethics, supervision, and topics like this one. New live CEU every Wednesday.
Join Free →With over 43% of BCBAs under the age of 35, a new wave of young professionals is redefining the future of ABA. The Young & the Wired explores how this next generation of behavior analysts is bringing fresh perspectives, cultural competence, and digital innovation to service delivery, supervision, leadership, and business practices. This session will examine how youthful energy is reshaping not only how we practice ABA but also how families discover services, engage with providers, and form expectations about our field. We'll explore how the rise of social media has allowed many young analysts to establish a professional voice online, serve as trusted sources of information, and make ABA more approachable and accessible to the public. From educational reels to TikTok explainers and advocacy threads, we'll discuss how this generation is using digital platforms not just for visibility but for impact. Through discussion, data, and personal insights, we'll highlight the strengths young professionals bring to the field including openness to change, cultural fluency, ethical passion, and a drive for service innovation. We'll also address challenges they face such as imposter syndrome, establishing professional authority, accessing mentorship, and preserving ABA's scientific and historical foundations. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of how young analysts are transforming the landscape of ABA and how we can support their growth while honoring the traditions that built the field.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1 | General |
| COA | 1 | — |
| FL MH/PSY | 1 | — |
Michelle Castanos is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with over 19 years of experience in Applied Behavior Analysis. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's degree in special education from the University of North Florida. Her journey into ABA was inspired by her cousin, Miguel, who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 1997. Michelle began her career as a technician in 2004, starting at the age of 18. By 2007, she founded a company offering behavioral-based babysitting services for children with Autism. Over time, this venture has grown into what is today South Florida Behavior, a comprehensive pediatric ABA center with locations in Miami, FL, and Weston, FL. In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavors, Michelle is one of the founders of THRIVE, the first post-secondary college support program for degree-seeking students with ASD in Florida, situated at the University of North Florida. She has also worked on mobile crisis teams and in institutional settings for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and dual diagnoses. Presently, Michelle serves as the President of SOFABA, the South Florida Chapter of FABA. She is also the founder and moderator for the Florida Medicaid ABA Facebook forum and is an elected Member-at-Large on the FABA board, completing her final year of her three-year term.
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
239 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.