What Oxygen Mask. Embracing ACT to Prioritize Your Needs as a Behavior Analyst with ADHD/ASD is the kind of topic that looks straightforward until it collides with the speed, ambiguity, and competing demands of supervision meetings, staff training, clinic systems, and performance review.
Provider: BehaviorLive — via Tennessee Association for Behavior Analysis
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Join Free →Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) is an evidence-based intervention designed to enhance psychological flexibility through mindfulness and behavior-change strategies (Hayes et al., 1999). ACT has demonstrated efficacy across diverse populations, including individuals with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and substance use disorders. Within applied behavior analysis, research indicates moderate to high levels of burnout among BCBAs (Slowiak & DeLongchamp, 2022). Anecdotal reports further suggest the field may attract a higher-than-average proportion of neurodiverse professionals, though empirical data are limited. For those with ADHD, executive functioning challenges may amplify the demands of BCBA work, increasing vulnerability to severe, persistent burnout and negatively affecting performance and job satisfaction (Turjeman-Levi, Itzchakov, & Engel-Yeger, 2024). This workshop offers an immersive introduction to ACT's six core processes: acceptance, cognitive defusion, present-moment awareness, self-as-context, values clarification, and committed action (Hayes, Strosahl, & Wilson, 2012). Through experiential exercises developed by Dr. Steven Hayes, participants will explore how ACT principles can reduce avoidance, improve emotional regulation, and address challenges commonly experienced by individuals with ADHD or ASD (McAleavey et al., 2022; Young et al., 2015). Values clarification and committed action will guide attendees in identifying personally meaningful goals, addressing procrastination, and building consistent follow-through (Murphy & Gawrilow, 2018). This session emphasizes the relevance of ACT for professionals experiencing burnout and those navigating ADHD or ASD-related challenges. Participants will gain practical strategies to enhance well-being, strengthen motivation, and integrate ACT techniques into both professional practice and their personal neurodiversity journey.
| Certification Body | Credits | Type |
|---|---|---|
| BACB® | 1.5 | General |
Heather Callison, PhD, LBA, BCBA, is a Lead Behavior Analyst with Practical Behavior Analysis and an independent ADHD Coach with a passion for helping individuals embrace their strengths and achieve their goals. With a PhD and MS in Special Education, she has dedicated over 16 years to providing home and community-based behavior services, coaching parents and caregivers of neurodivergent children. Now, she focuses her expertise on coaching adults with ADHD who seek to overcome challenges and cultivate meaningful, values-driven lives. As a mother with ADHD, parenting two children with ADHD, and a spouse to an individual with ADHD, Heather brings a deeply personal understanding to her work. Her lived experience provides her with empathy, insight, and a practical perspective on the complexities of ADHD in everyday life. She has found Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) particularly effective in managing self-criticism, intrusive thoughts, and unhelpful behavioral patterns. Heather integrates ACT principles into her coaching, empowering her clients to accept their thoughts simply for what they are, and take purposeful actions aligned with their values.
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.