The ABA Speech Podcast- Easy Strategies for Speech Therapists, BCBAs, and RBTs

In this episode, I had the absolute pleasure of welcoming Dr. Kathleen Dyer, Dr. Anna Linnehan, and Dr. Mary Jane Weiss for a powerful conversation around their article Fostering Belonging in Autistic Individuals. This was actually the first time I’ve had three guests on the podcast at once, and it felt like the perfect conversation to mark that milestone.

We spent time unpacking the difference between inclusion and true belonging and why simply being “in the room” does not always mean someone feels connected or accepted. As behavior analysts and speech-language pathologists, we’ve made incredible progress with access, inclusion, and participation, but this conversation challenged us to take a deeper look at the quality of those experiences.

We talked about what happens when autistic individuals are included but don’t feel they belong, the emotional toll of masking and camouflaging, and the very real systemic barriers that still exist for autistic adults. I also loved hearing how this work grew from their experiences in higher education and from listening closely to autistic individuals and families who shared that they often had to create their own communities.

What really stood out to me was how much this conversation aligns with compassionate, individualized care. Belonging looks different for everyone, and if we’re not asking about it, observing it, and building it into our assessments and interventions, we’re missing something essential. This episode felt like an invitation for our field to stretch, reflect, and evolve, and I’m so grateful to these three leaders for helping start that dialogue.

#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
The difference between inclusion and true belonging, and why access alone is not enough
How masking and camouflaging impact mental health and long-term well-being
Barriers autistic adults face in education, employment, and community participation
Practical ways clinicians can keep belonging at the center of assessment and intervention
Mentioned In This Episode:
Earn CEUs with a community of peers. Join the ABA Speech Connection
Get the book Perspectives on Neurodiversity and Belonging
ABA Speech: Home

In today’s episode, I sat down with Nafisa Obi to talk about what it really looks like to bring speech therapy, occupational therapy, and ABA together under one roof. Nafisa shared her journey from starting a small speech therapy practice to co-founding Essential Speech and ABA Therapy, which has grown into a nationwide franchise model focused on early intervention and true interdisciplinary collaboration.
We talked honestly about the realities of private practice ownership, the challenges of adding ABA to an existing SLP practice, and why understanding your “why” matters so much when you’re building services that impact families. Nafisa walked us through how her team recognized a gap in care, leaned into collaboration instead of competition, and built a model that prioritizes children, families, and ethical growth.
This conversation is especially powerful if you’re an SLP, OT, BCBA, or practice owner who feels the pull to do more for your clients but isn’t sure where to start. Nafisa’s story is a reminder that thoughtful, family-centered care and sustainable business practices can exist together, and that collaboration truly changes outcomes.
#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
How Essential Speech and ABA Therapy evolved from a speech-only clinic into a fully collaborative SLP, OT, and ABA model
What SLPs need to consider when adding ABA services, from staffing and billing to company culture
Why true interdisciplinary collaboration improves outcomes for autistic children and their families
How franchising became a way to responsibly expand access to ethical, high-quality autism care
Mentioned In This Episode:
Essential Speech and ABA Therapy
Nafisa Obi on LinkedIn
Join the ABA Speech Connection 
ABA Speech: Home

I’m bringing back one of my mini episodes that continues to spark great conversations around verbal imitation. This reprise dives into how we think about echoics and verbal imitation in a way that is thoughtful, ethical, and grounded in collaboration. I share why this can be such a tricky area, especially when speech-language pathologists and BCBAs are working together, and why context always matters more than a checklist.

In this episode, I walk through how I approach verbal imitation on a team, why assessment and collaboration are essential, and how we can support learners without turning them off to verbal communication. This is a practical listen that encourages all of us to slow down, zoom out, and make sure our targets are truly functional for the child in front of us.
#autism #speechtherapy

What’s Inside:
Why verbal imitation and echoics require careful, collaborative decision-making
The role of assessments and context when choosing verbal targets
How SLP and BCBA collaboration supports ethical and effective programming
A high-level look at maintaining and generalizing verbal imitation skills
Mentioned In This Episode:
Verbal Imitation Guide (Hack #19)
Join our ethics course
Join the aba speech connection 
ABA Speech: Home

In this reprise episode, I’m revisiting an important conversation with Dr. Michael Selbst and Dr. Jeniffer Cruz about Pathological Demand Avoidance, often called PDA. I began getting more questions about PDA as clinicians and parents shared concerns about students who weren’t responding to traditional strategies and seemed to escalate around even small or well-intended demands.
In this episode, we break down what PDA is and how it’s currently understood. While PDA is not a formal diagnosis in the United States, it’s often described internationally as a profile rooted in anxiety and a strong drive for control. Dr. Selbst and Dr. Cruz explain how both explicit demands, like being told to complete a task, and implied demands, such as routines or social expectations, can trigger a fight, flight, or freeze response.
We also explore why compliance-based systems and reward-driven approaches often don’t work for learners with this profile. Even positive strategies can increase anxiety when they rely on external control. Instead, this conversation focuses on shifting toward collaboration over compliance, building trust, and reducing power struggles so regulation can come first.
What I appreciate most is how practical this discussion is. We talk about language, tone, and small changes adults can make to better support regulation, communication, and independence.
#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
What Pathological Demand Avoidance is and how it differs from defiance or noncompliance
Why anxiety-driven responses make compliance-based strategies ineffective
How shifting from compliance to collaboration supports regulation and trust
Practical ways to adjust language, expectations, and support for PDA learners
Mentioned In This Episode:
Dr. Selbst and Dr. Cruz have the authority to practice interjurisdictional telepsychology (APIT) from the PSYPACT commission, allowing them to provide telepsychology to clients in many states. To see if your state is included, please click on this link: https://psypact.site-ym.com/page/psypactmap 
PDA Society
Behavior Therapy Associates
Join the aba speech connection  
ABA Speech: Home

Functional Communication Training can change everything when behavior is really communication and we take the time to listen.
In this reprise episode, I’m revisiting one of our most popular conversations of the year, all about Functional Communication Training and how to get started in a way that is practical, ethical, and truly supportive for students. I hear so many questions about what to do when students are struggling to express their needs and emotions and how to move beyond problem behavior into meaningful communication. This conversation with Dr. Bethjoy Houck gives you a clear, research-based way forward.
We walk through what Functional Communication Training actually is, why it is different from simple mand training, and why identifying the true function of behavior through assessment is essential before jumping into intervention. We also break down how to thoughtfully select functional communication responses so they are easy to prompt, meaningful to the learner, and sustainable across environments. Whether you are a speech-language pathologist, BCBA, RBT, or parent, this episode is filled with real-world examples that bring the research to life and help you apply FCT with confidence and compassion.
#autism #speechtherapy
What’s Inside:
What Functional Communication Training really is, and why it goes beyond basic mand training
Why identifying the function of behavior is essential before implementing FCT
How to select communication responses that are easy to prompt, ethical, and effective
Practical examples of using AAC, visuals, and object exchange to support meaningful communication
Mentioned In This Episode:
A Practitioner’s Guide for Selecting Functional Communication Responses
Join the aba speech connection 
ABA Speech: Home