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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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If you’re a parent with a very picky eater at home, meals can easily become a dreaded time of day for both you and your child. Over the years, many parents have reported to me that the dinner table transforms into a battleground when green veggies are present or if the pasta is elbow shaped…
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What drives us at Verbal Beginnings? Seeing lives changed. Seeing kids and families change. Seeing ourselves change. This is what motivates us and what pushes us on to make better programs, to become better people, and ultimately, make the world a better place. If you somehow missed it, this spring we celebrated the grand opening…
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People from all around the world recognize April as the “month of blue,” specifically, Autism Awareness Month. It’s a vital time to raise general public knowledge about autism, rally the community for positive change, and inform some pre-held beliefs about autism that may not be true. To close out this special month of awareness and…
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Marta didn’t eat very many foods, which is how I came to know her. She liked goldfish, but they had to be plain yellow goldfish otherwise she wouldn’t touch them. Marta would eat some fruits, but no vegetables. She used to eat pasta and French fries, but now she wouldn’t touch them. Marta’s refusal also…
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In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, BCBA, LGPC, talks on how the function of certain behaviors can tell us why those behaviors are occurring. Within the field of ABA, before we begin to help someone effectively change his or her behavior, it’s important that we first understand the function of…
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When I first met Kyler, he had been entirely dependent on his feeding tube for nearly four years. As an infant, he didn’t eat very well and often times, he wouldn’t stay awake long enough to consume enough to grow. The feeding tube was supposed to be a temporary solution after an episode of dehydration,…
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Verbal Beginnings recently had the opportunity to be a sponsor at the Women in Behavioral Analysis (WIBA) Conference in Nashville, TN. This is the third year the conference has taken place and it proved to be a big success. ABA professionals from around the nation were able to come together and collaborate through a shared…
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In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, BCBA, LGPC, will be walking us through what happens before and after a particular behavior occurs and how it affects future behavior. To understand why behavior occurs, we need to know what happens before, during, and after the behavior. In ABA, when we discuss…
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In this edition of ABA Behind the Scenes, Jami Hardy, MS, RBT, LGPC, will be unpacking the concept of “Behavior” as part of the term “Applied Behavior Analysis.” In ABA, when we talk about behavior, we really mean anything a person says or does. Behavior includes observable actions—all the things other people can see—as well…
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As an organization that works with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) within the realm of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), our entire profession is based on scientific research, methodical therapy, and the principles of learning. However, we did something the other day that was completely new to us. It was something that had no…
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Verbal Beginnings is excited to announce the grand opening of the NEW Verbal Beginnings Center located just ½ mile away from our current center on Columbia Gateway Drive in Columbia, Maryland. We will stick to the same philosophy of improving the quality of life for children with developmental disabilities through top-notch care, now just with a…
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By: Todd A. Ward, PhD, BCBA-D, bSci21Media LLC If you are providing in-home therapy as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), your ability to form a positive relationship with the family you are working with is critical and is one of the most important components of your job when starting a new case. Failure to do…
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When it comes to working with children and families it’s important to pause and celebrate accomplishments of all types, whenever they happen. Here at Verbal Beginnings, we take celebration seriously… just as seriously as we take our commitment to providing top-notch care. We recently had a big reason to celebrate as we held one of…
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You log in to your portal. Click over to your test results. You take a deep breath and… You passed! Congratulations rockstar, you can now add “BCBA” to the end of your name because you are officially board certified. It’s a great feeling and reflects all the hard work that you’ve put in. But now…
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