Bearded Behaviorist

This is a great resource! Check it out!

When Ashley Franklin asked me to be an advanced reader for this beautiful book, I was honored! I love Ashley's work and believe that we need more books and media that model acceptance and inclusion. Ashley and Tatiana did something amazing and beautiful here! They created a book that goes beyond acceptance and inclusion. They modeled belonging! I cannot recommend this beautiful book enough! I encourage you to order it and have it on your bookshelf! Read it with children! Use it to show that no matter how loud one's voice may or may not be, that voice matters! My Review: "Giving Voice to Understand Xavier's voice is a perfect example of story telling that models mental health skills for child! What is more, it gives voice to those who are very frequently forgotten when we talk about mental health. The quiet voices. I am so grateful for this beautiful story because it models mental health strategies for children, as well as what acceptance and inclusion looks like for children! The images are beautiful and my daughter was enthralled both by them and the story that taught her powerful skills for health and imagination! I highly recommend Xavier's Voice be on your bookshelf!" You can find Xavier's Voice where ever physical books are sold. I encourage you to buy from a locally owned and operated bookstore, but if none is available you can order it here: https://amzn.to/4h3PQu5

Join Mindful Behavior’s Through Our Eyes Panel for “Nurturing Autonomy: Assent in Completing Daily Living Activities” on October 21 from 7-9 PM ET, ! 🧠✨ 🌈 This autistic-led professional development event for autism support providers will delve into essential strategies for promoting autonomy in daily living. 🎟️ Earn 2 CEUs for just $30 while supporting our marginalized instructors (sale of seat goes to our instructors)! Your participation not only enriches your knowledge but also uplifts the voices in our community. 🌈 Secure your seat today and help us foster a more inclusive approach in our field! 🌱 #MindfulBehavior #AutisticLed #ProfessionalDevelopment #BCBA #NurturingAutonomy #CEUs #SupportDiversity #BehaviorLive #Autism #Disability #ABA #RBT #DSP #OT #SPED #Autonomy #ADLs #Autistic #Neurodivergent #ADHD #AuDHD #Disabled 🔗 Register on our website under Live Events: www.mindfulbehaviorllc.org Or on our Behavior Live Organization Page: https://lnkd.in/gDMhySx8

A cheerleading coach her students crab walk on 120°F ground as punishment? The girls protested because it hurt, but were told to "just do it." Result? First and second degree burns requiring medical treatment. This incident got me thinking about compliance training, especially for disabled children. If this can happen to non-disabled kids who were protesting, imagine the risks for those who are disabled. Many disabled children have compliance training forcedon them that prioritize following instructions over self-advocacy. But here's the thing: compliance is NOT the goal. We should be teaching all kids, especially those with disabilities, to trust their instincts, communicate their needs, & advocate for their safety. There are better approaches out there. Functional communication training & assent-based treatment focus on empowerment, building collaboration & trust. They teach kids to express themselves effectively & make informed choices. Think about it - if these cheerleaders couldn't effectively refuse a dangerous situation, how much harder might it be for a child with communication difficulties? Sure, kids need to learn to follow instructions. But there's a big difference between that and blind obedience. We need to teach discernment, especially for disabled children who may be more vulnerable to abuse or exploitation. This isn't just about schools or therapy. It's about how kids, particularly disabled children (especially BIPOC populations), interact with authority throughout their lives. By focusing on empowerment and communication, we give them tools to navigate complex situations and protect themselves. So, how do we shift our approach to prioritize safety and self-advocacy, especially for disabled children? What challenges do you see in changing our current educational and therapeutic systems? Let's keep this conversation going. It's crucial for all our kids, but especially for those who may be more vulnerable due to disabilities. Our goal should be raising empowered, confident individuals who can stand up for themselves when it matters most - regardless of ability. What are your thoughts? Have you seen similar situations? How can we do better?

Hey folx! As promised, here is that post I've been working on about social skills! Let's shake up how we think about social skills! I've put together this post to challenge the idea that social scripts = social skills. Sure, scripts have their place, but they're just a small part of the bigger picture. We need to move beyond rigid, neurotypical expectations and embrace a more inclusive approaches that truly are social skills. I created the Boundary-Communication Model for Pro-Social Engagement to do exactly this! It's all about mutual respect, authentic interactions, and valuing diverse communication styles. Remember, social skills aren't just for neurodivergent people - we ALL benefit from developing these skills! Important note: You're welcome to use this model to support your learners or clients without asking permission. However, if you're developing a curriculum based on it, I need to be involved in the creation process. Let's work together to create a more understanding and equitable society! ♥️♾️ What are your thoughts on this approach to social skills? Let's discuss!

Social skills are a pet peeve of mine. Even the okay curriculum I've are still not great because they really aren't based off understanding and connection, and they still have ablest goals and treat autism and autistics as a problem. There is little to no empathy for the Neurodivergent person. It's all cultural domination and coercion without recognizing that autistics have our own social scripts and skills. I have a post I am working on that teaches a framework that addresses these issues which I hope to finish soon. But also, nope! Nope to all the wierd coercion! Nope to theeye contact fetish! Nope to training masking, and nope, nope, NOPE, NOPE to indistinguishable as a goal!!!

Spooky season is in my blood. As soon as the calendar flips from September to October, it's like a switch is flipped in my brain - just like this meme! But let's get a little behavior nerdy for a sec. There are two real cool things to learn from this meme. First, this sudden change is a perfect metaphor for how our behavior can transform based on environmental cues. These cues exert what is called "stimulus control" over our behaviors. Speaking of metaphors, the second thing is this. Ever wonder what the OG behaviorist B.F. Skinner thought about them? Turns out, he had some pretty interesting takes. Skinner saw metaphors as a type of verbal behavior shaped by our experiences. He argued that when we use metaphors, we're not just being poetic - we're demonstrating complex verbal skills that have been reinforced over time. In radical behaviorism, metaphors aren't just flowery language. They're tools that help us understand and describe our experiences in relatable ways. Think about it - when I say "October 1st me is Wednesday Addams," I'm not literally turning into a fictional character. I'm using a shared cultural reference to express a complex set of behaviors and feelings. Skinner believed that our ability to create and understand metaphors is learned through our interactions with the world. It's not some innate, mystical ability - it's a skill we develop through reinforcement and shaping, just like any other behavior. Which is why it's really odd when certain behaviorist immediately dismiss metaphor as mentalism. It's almost like they don't understand the root philosophy of radical behaviorism. 🤔 So next time you find yourself suddenly transformed by the spooky vibes of October (or another season or holiday), remember - you're not just getting into the spirit of the season. You're demonstrating the power of environmental cues to shape behavior, and using metaphor to communicate that experience. Pretty cool, right? Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go practice my brooding stare. Maybe get me some pumpkin spice. October me has a reputation to uphold! 🎃👻 #RadicalBehaviorism #Metaphor #SpookySeason #BFSkinner

"When we engage in operant extinction with learners without determining if it is operant or respondent, and it turns out to be respondent behavior, we are effectively standing on the shoreline with a boat, a lifesaver and a rope, saying 'USE YOUR WORDS (while the person is drowning) and "THEN ILL SAVE YOU!'" Brian Middleton, M.Ed, BCBA, LBA, Behavior Bridge Podcast, Episode 6 This is perhaps one of my favorite comparisons because too often we are expecting a person drowning the environment to "bootstrap" themselves into success without realizing that 1. pulling ones self up by their bootstraps is literally impossible and the original saying was sarcasm, and 2. our field had become so insensitive to the needs of others through justification that we made it into a procedure we are known for. Re:planned ignoring. We our heart back! We need our humanity back! I will not accept that being a scientist requires us to pretend that being inhumane is acceptable.

"A small part of the universe is contained within the skin of each of us. There is no reason why it should have any special physical status because it lies within this boundary, and eventually we should have a complete account of it from anatomy and physiology. No very good account is now available, however, and it therefore seems all the more important that we should be in touch with it in other ways. We feel it and in some sense observe it, and it would seem foolish to neglect this source of information just because no more than one person can make contact with one inner world. Nevertheless, our behavior in making that contact needs to be examined." -B.F. Skinner, About Behaviorism, Chapter 2 - The World Within the Skin As of the time of About Behaviorism's publication, neurology was an emerging science, much like radical behaviorism. Since the publication of this book, the field has made significant leaps. EEGs on a human was in 1924. Had Skinner been aware of this he could easily have utilized the data a potential as proof of the radical behaviorist perspective. For those unaware, the reason we are called radical behaviorists is because of the "radical" notion that thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, etc. are considered behaviors. Contrast this with methodological behaviorists, who dismiss or discount such experiences. Behavior Science has progressed significantly since Skinner's day, yet within radical behaviorism we have been stifled by those who gain significant reinforcement (money, power, influence) because of the pathologizing of autistics & other neurological differences from the accepted norm. It's time we make the shift away from pathology and to our functional contextual roots. This means educating ourselves on our sibling sciences. The Neurodiversity Movement has been attempting this, and yet we can go a step beyond. We can embrace the functional contextual paradigm, which includes neurodiversity, as we seek to improve the human experience for all.

At Mindful Behavior we are committed to ethical dissemination of behavior analysis. Social validity is at the heart of that! This is why we created a social validity bundle! The bundle includes the Through Our Eyes Panel and the Neurodiversity Peer Group. Normal priced at $30 each, the bundle gives both (including recording access) for $50. Through Our Eyes is a monthly panel that features autistic professionals for across human services who discuss different aspects of behavior analysis and autism services. The Neurodiversity Peer Group is lead by autistic behavior analysts and allies, and is designed to drill deeper into the topics discussed in the panels. Our mission is to listen and uplift autistic voices in a field that, unfortunately, struggles with this. We strive to increase awareness of critical issues and move our field forward. Your support is critical to this movement! Join us! We would love to learn and grow together! Register at https://is.gd/MBbundle for the bundle!