2020 has been challenging for so many of us in so many ways. Yet through the change and uncertainty, we have been thrilled to continue working with our awesome families and kiddos! We’re thankful that, through all the ups and downs of the year, we’ve been able to stay focused on our mission with our…
This summer, Verbal Beginnings officially launched our Diversity & Inclusion Council, a staff-led initiative to educate families and staff and to work to develop solutions to create an equal opportunity for all. Here to share more about the work of the D&I Council is VB’s Aditi Bhatt and Gabrielle (Gaby) Elsey, M.H.A. Check it out!…
Even with many states reopening this summer, the stress of COVID-19 can still be a significant weight for all us, regardless of what you usually do all day. For the last few months we’ve been sending out updates to our VB staff with some helpful self-care resources like blogs and articles from around the Internet.…
In today’s staff spotlight we feature Tori Finney, MA, RBT, one of VB’s awesome field staff who shares some thoughts with us about how she’s been experiencing gratefulness and growth during the COVID-19 crisis. How has the COVID-19 situation impacted you the most? This has definitely been a time of difficulty and uncertainty. I have…
As part of Verbal Beginnings’ new Telehealth suite of services, our New Beginnings diagnostic service has launched a virtual option as well! Here to share more about this program is licensed psychologist and head of our New Beginnings program, Allison Maletsky, Psy.D! How is a virtual diagnostic session different than an in-person session? A…
Insights about telehealth services for feeding therapy by Verbal Beginnings’ Director of Healthy Beginnings, Ben Sarcia. As our news and social media channels are saturated with updates regarding COVID-19, one thing has become immediately clear: We are all going to be at home for longer than we had initially thought, so why not take advantage…
Today’s post is written by Talent Acquisition Specialist, Tia Johnson, and tackles some of the most common questions (answers) about becoming an RBT. Check it out! First Things First… What is an RBT? A Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) is a credentialed professional who practices Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) under the close, ongoing supervision of a…
In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, BCBA, LGPC, talks about tacting in early language development. Tacting is labeling or naming objects, actions, or events. It is how we describe the things we see, smell, touch, and hear. In addition, it is an important skill we use to build up and…
In today’s blog you’ll get to hear from Intern-turned-Field Coordinator Taylor Dye. Taylor started off at VB as an intern and eventually finished her master’s program and is now overseeing her own field team! Here’s Taylor’s story with a little advice and lessons learned along the way. Tell us about your first day as…
Do you mind if we burst with pride for a second and give some props to one of our own? Shari Pincus, Clinical Supervisor with Verbal Beginnings, recently had her article, Context influences preference for and level of physical activity of adolescents with intellectual and developmental disabilities, published in one of the most distinguished ABA…
In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, BCBA, LGPC, talks about replacement behaviors and their integration into the ABA process. A mand is a request for something wanted or needed, or a request to end something undesirable. Manding is one of the first forms of communication naturally acquired, observed as early…
In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, BCBA, LGPC, talks about replacement behaviors and their integration into the ABA process Replacement behaviors are used to substitute behaviors that limit learning and inclusion, with behaviors that help promote success in the classroom and across daily-living tasks. Developing replacement behavior is a three-part…
In today’s blog you’ll get to hear the amazing story of VB’s Senior Therapist, Hannah Hudson, and her journey into the world of ABA; from intern to RBT to Lead Therapist to Senior Therapist. We believe in our staff and support their dreams so hats off to you Hannah and thanks for letting us showcase…
Congratulations! You officially passed that oh-so-fun BCBA exam and you can finally put those four letters after your name. All of your hard work in graduate school has led to this day and while you learned all about Applied Behavior Analysis in your studies, there are many things about being a Board Certified Behavior Analyst…
As a behavior analyst and a yoga teacher, it’s been difficult to exist in these two contrasting worlds. In behavior analysis, we focus on observable, measurable behaviors and avoid thoughts and feelings (private events) at all costs. Conversely, my yoga trainings have focused on being in the present moment, cultivating acceptance of one’s self, and…
Extinction occurs when behavior with a history of being reinforced no longer results in access to reinforcement. Extinction is generally put into place for behaviors we want to see less of, and should only be used in combination with reinforcement for appropriate replacement behaviors. Extinction may be illustrated in a variety of ways depending on…
I’ve had the opportunity to meet many children of different ages since I began working with selective eaters. In 2016 I became the Director of the Healthy Beginnings program and since then, the most common request that I receive from parents as we plan to work on behavior at mealtime is; can we come for…
The Healthy Beginnings feeding program has been a part of the Verbal Beginnings Center for three years as of this June. When I became the director of this program, I set a goal to offer quality ABA-based therapy to address mealtime behavior. Therefore, our therapists include Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) and Registered Behavior Technicians…
In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, BCBA, LGPC, will be examining positive and negative punishment regarding your child’s behavior. In everyday conversation when the word punishment is used, more often punitive actions are being described. In ABA, punishment means the chances of a behavior happening again have decreased as a…
In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, RBT, LGPC, will be examining positive and negative reinforcement regarding your child’s behavior. When we discuss reinforcement in ABA we are talking about increasing behavior as a result of an event that followed the behavior. In other words, we’re more likely to do something…