Our mission is to weave behavioral science into the fabric of society. We believe that an understanding of global behavioral systems, complexity, and technology is the key to bringing behavioral science to the world, and tends to be an overarching theme in our content. We work where academics struggle – connecting behavioral science to the world in an engaging and accessible way. Ultimately we want to see behavioral science integrated into every industry on the planet and the daily life of every person around the world.
Our Founder
Todd A. Ward, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA is a science writer, social philosopher, behavioral systems analyst, and the President and Founder of bSci21Media, LLC, which aims to connect behavioral science to the world in an engaging, non-academic way. Dr. Ward received his PhD in behavior analysis from the University of Nevada, Reno under Dr. Ramona Houmanfar. He has served as a Guest Associate Editor of the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, and as an Editorial Board member of Behavior and Social Issues. His publications follow a theme of behavioral systems analysis, organizational performance, theory & philosophy, and language & cognition. He has also provided ABA services to children and adults with various developmental disabilities in day centers, in-home, residential, and school settings, and previously served as Faculty Director of Behavior Analysis Online at the University of North Texas. Dr. Ward can be reached at [email protected]
Contributing Writers
Angela Cathey, M.A. is a writer, consultant
, entrepreneur, and Owner, Director, and Team/Leadership Development Consultant of Enso Group. Her background is in processes of change and intervention development. She has trained with experts in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP), cognitive-behavioral exposure-based treatments, and Relational Frame Theory (RFT). Her interests are in process, innovation, and development of solutions for sustainable large-scale change. She has published in numerous academic journals on process, measurement, and intervention development. Enso-driven analytics systems are used to inform leadership and team building interventions, culture design, and research in the behavioral sciences. Angela can be reached at [email protected]. Stay up-to-date with Enso Group at ensogroup.us and LinkedIn.
Brett DiNovi, M.A., BCBA has the unique and distinguished experience of studying the principles of applied behavior analysis under the rigorous scrutiny of both Dr. Julie S. Vargas (formerly Skinner) and Dr. E.A. Vargas at West Virginia University’s internationally recognized program. For the past 26 years, Brett has used behavior analytic principles to create large scale change across school districts, Fortune 500 companies using principles of Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), and across individual learners. Brett has been a OBM consultant in Morgantown WV, an instructor at West Virginia University, a guest lecturer at numerous universities, a speaker on multiple Comcast Newsmakers TV programs, an expert witness in due process hearings, has publications in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, and has been in in executive leadership positions across schools and residential programs nationwide. In addition to an award from South Jersey Biz Magazine for “Best Places to Work,” an award for “Best of Families” in Suburban Magazine, and the distinguished “Top Ranked U.S. Executives” award, Brett’s proudest accomplishment is being a role model and father for his daughter and two stepchildren (one of which has autism). Brett can be reached at [email protected]sociates.com
Melissa Druskis, M.S., BCBA has worked with children with autism for over 9 years as a speech language pathologist assistant and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She is the founder of ABC Behavior Training, a company providing distance supervision to BCBA and BCaBA students, disseminating the science of ABA, and providing training and materials to ABA practitioners. She earned her Master’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience, with a specialization in Cognition and Human-Computer Interaction, and completed the BCBA Certification program at Florida Institute of Technology. She currently provides in-home ABA services and oversees a team of BCBA’s for an ABA company in the DFW area, provides distance supervision for BCBA’s and BCaBA’s, and is a co-instructor for Florida Institute of Technology. You can contact her through her website at www.abcbehaviortx.com or by email at [email protected]
Harla Frank, M.S., BCBA earned her Master’s degree in Psychology, with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis, from Florida State University. Since receiving her certification as a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in 2007, she has worked primarily with children and young adults on the Autism Spectrum, but has also worked with adults with a variety of diagnoses and needs. She has served as an expert witness for Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) in the Colorado court system and has had the privilege of providing “ABA approaches” training to foster care staff and families.
Since 2010, Harla has taught ABA course sequences, as well as general psychology courses, for Purdue Global University. You can contact her at [email protected].
Jess Graham, M.S., is an experienced business person, and formally trained behavior analyst who has been creating results in business through behavioral science for 15 years. She believes everyone deserves to work for, and be served by, businesses that are successful and healthy, and is especially passionate about helping others learn the behavioral technology to make this happen.
Jess has dedicated her career to making a positive impact through influencing workplace culture, leadership development, and service excellence, to affect business results and make a difference in the quality of the lives of employees and their clients. Through applying the science of behavior and continuous improvement, she has contributed to the success of change strategies in a wide range of businesses, including manufacturing, mental health, education and customer service settings. In coaching leaders at all levels, and sharing the science of behavior with thousands of individuals, she has loved seeing firsthand the positive effects of implementing behavior-based strategies in any type of workplace.
She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Western Michigan University, and Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida State University. After 4 years of living and consulting abroad in Australia, Jess brought her skills and experience back to the corporate sector in the US and is currently enjoying an Organizational Development role in a Fortune Global 100 company. You can contact her at [email protected].
Scott Herbst, PhD is the founder and Lead Trainer at SixFlex Training and Consulting. After six years in academia, he left to pursue his passion of training leaders and managers to create, manage, and communicate in work environments where people are productive, excited, and vital. As a course designer, he grounds his curricula in cutting edge research in language and thinking as well as decades of research in operant performance. As a trainer, he is an engaging and powerful speaker who makes learning fun and exciting. You can visit his company site at www.SixFlexTraining.com, or email at [email protected] for more information.
Sarah Kupferschmidt, MA, BCBA realized that Behaviour Analysis was her calling when she first started working with children and teenagers with autism in 1999. She is very passionate about empowering others with the most effective tools to teach children and teenagers. She has been training clinicians, and coaching parents on how to do this since she started. She has been a Part-Time or Adjunct Professor since 2005 teaching ABA courses in undergraduate, and graduate programs in Canada and the USA. Sarah also regularly presents workshops to parents and teenagers with autism, therapists and/or educators on a variety of topics related to improving the quality of life for individuals with autism using evidence-based procedures. Sarah is the Principal and Founder of SarahK Consulting. She is a Huffington Post Contributor, a TEDx speaker, and was named Top Safety Contributor for Autism Parenting Magazine in 2014 and Top Behavior Analysis Writer for 2015. You can contact her at sarah.[email protected].
Emaley McCulloch M.Ed. BCBA co-founded Autism Training Solutions, LLC in 2008, and served as Vice President of Relias Institute at Relias Learning conducting healthcare research on the impact of technology on clinical outcomes. Emaley is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds an MA in Special Education. She has served in the field of ABA for over 20 years in California, Hawaii and Tokyo, Japan. Emaley’s passion is software start-ups, elearning, dissemination of evidenced-based interventions, research, film and videography and using technology in the field of behavior analysis and special education. She currently serves as VP of Clinical Products at Motivity.net, a breakthrough data collection software for ABA providers. You can reach her at [email protected].
Zach Morford, PhD, BCBA-D, has been in the field of behavior analysis for 10 years. In that time, he has worked in varied areas of behavior analysis, including autism, animal training, OBM, education, and instructional design. Dr. Morford has also taught undergraduate and graduate behavior analysis courses at three different universities, presented internationally, trained behavior analysts in Italy and Saudi Arabia, and published peer-reviewed papers in multiple behavior analytic outlets regarding applied, experimental, and theoretical issues. His primary interest in the field is the large-scale application of behavioral principles to issues of social importance. Currently, Dr. Morford serves as the Executive Director of the Texas Association for Behavior Analysis (TxABA), and is the co-owner and founder of Zuce Technologies, LLC, a small-business consulting and instructional design company. You can contact him at [email protected]
Leanne Page, M.Ed, BCBA has worked with kids with disabilities and their parents in a variety of settings for over 10 years. She has taught special education classes from kindergarden-grade 12, from self-contained to inclusion. Leanne has also managed a center providing ABA services to children in 1:1 and small group settings. She has extensive experience in school and teacher training, therapist training, parent training, and providing direct services to children and families in a center-based or in-home therapy setting. Since becoming a mom, Leanne has a new mission to share behavior analytic practices with a population she knows needs it- all moms of littles! Leanne does through her site parentingwithaba.org and through her book ‘Parenting with Science: Behavior Analysis Saves Mom’s Sanity”. You can contact her at [email protected].
Manny Rodriguez has worked with many organizations across the globe. He has earned a reputation for his quick grasp of behavioral challenges and how to solve them offering a practical “real-world” approaches. He has held positions both as an external consultant at the largest behavior based consultancies, as a Global Environmental Health and Safety leader within a global specialty chemical company, executive positions for profit and non-profit organizations, and currently engages in various entrepreneurial endeavors. Manny’s experience spans various industries working with some of the largest organizations in the world implementing large scale change efforts, providing one-on-one coaching with executives and senior managers, developing and delivery engaging professional development learning events, and leading teams of professionals to achieve significant performance.
Manny has presented nationally and internationally at both trade and academic conferences, disseminating Behavior Analysis and his work as a practitioner. He has also written various articles for sites such as bsci21.org, interviewed by pod-casters such as The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt CiCoria, Co-Authored the four volume series OBM Applied! a practical guide to implementing organizational behavior management, and Co-authored the book Quick Wins! Accelerating School Transformation through Science, Engagement, and Leadership. Manny continues to write and present, and currently is pursuing his Doctorate in Business Administration at the University of South Florida, focusing his research efforts in leadership, change management, and competency based skill development.
In addition, Manny volunteers his time as the current Executive Director of the OBM Network, and as a member of the board of directors of the space coast human resource association. You can contact him at [email protected].
Daniel B. Sundberg, PhD, is a behavior analyst dedicated to creating meaningful change for individuals and organizations using the science of human behavior. Dan has worked in a variety of organizations, including non-profits. Additionally, Dan spent two years as a university lecturer, teaching undergraduate students how to improve the workplace with behavior analysis
Dan earned his B.A. in Psychology at the University of California at Berkeley, M.S. in Organizational Behavior Management from Florida Institute of Technology, and Ph. D. in Industrial/ Organizational Behavior Management from Western Michigan University. During this time, some of the best thinkers in behavior analysis and OBM mentored Dr. Sundberg as an academician and business professional.
Dan is currently Regional Manager of Consulting Services at ABA Technologies, where he helps to develop and deliver OBM consulting services. Dan is also a guest reviewer for the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management, and in his spare time he creates behavior-based products that allow people to manage their time and accomplish their goals. He also has a special interest in building effective work practices and cultures for start-up companies, and increasing the positive effects of organizations working towards an environmentally sustainable future. You can contact him at [email protected].
Adam Ventura, M.S., BCBA is a graduate of Florida International University and has been a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) since 2008. Adam is the founder and CEO of World Evolve, Inc., a behavioral organization located in south Florida. Adam has been working in the field of applied behavior analysis for over 10 years and has experience working with children and adults with varying disabilities. Adam was a member of the local review committee in Miami, Florida for over three years and is currently a member of the behavior analysis and practice committee (BAPC) for the state of Florida. Adam also currently serves an adjunct professor in the psychology department at Florida International University where he has been teaching undergraduate courses in behavior analysis since 2009. Adam is also the co-founder of two public benefit corporations, namely, The Code Of Ethics for Behavioral Organizations (COEBO) and the Miami Association for Behavior Analysis (MiABA). Adam’s experience has extended beyond the clinical realm and into the business world as he has been responsible for creating several new businesses with and without partners in various industries. Adam’s current focus is on business ethics and technological applications of Behavior Analysis. You can contact him at [email protected].
Dear Dr. Ward,
We are writing to thank you for your article highlighting the recent letter sent by Dr. Melody Musgrove, Director of the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), in which she addressed “concerns within the field” of special education—specifically, that treatments for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are overly focused on applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy. We applaud your concerns and comments, as we sincerely disagree with the statement presented by OSEP. Their position is concerning, given that ABA is supported by five decades of research which demonstrate its effectiveness with the ASD population and that it is endorsed by The Centers for Disease Control (2014), The United States Surgeon General (1999), and the National Autism Center, (2015). Unfortunately, Dr. Musgrove’s letter, as one written by an authority in special education, will reach countless parents and educational professionals, and regardless of intent, may serve to diminish the value of ABA in their eyes.
As you point out, behavior analysts have long focused on multiple areas when working with children with autism (Carr & Durand, 1985; Bourret & Vollmer, 2003). The focus is often twofold: teaching new skills and reducing or eliminating challenging behaviors. Given the function-based approach upon which ABA was founded (Skinner, 1953), it is not unreasonable to suspect that there may be significant overlap in the areas in which skills are taught. For example, a young child may be taught to make a vocal request for a break instead of engaging in self-injurious behavior. In another case, a student is taught to successfully pass a soccer ball by reinforcing successive attempts. Or, a learner may be taught the sequence to brushing his or her teeth by sequentially introducing the steps of the chain. In each of these domains—although topographically different—behavior analysis finds its home. The statement made by OSEP does not appear to embrace the efficacy of ABA, nor does it express a fundamental understanding of what it is.
As fellow behavior analysts, we appreciate your objective reporting of this critically important development in special education in the United States, and commend you for illuminating the complexities that occur when science, education, and the law intersect. As you eloquently and succinctly point out, behavior analysis finds its home in many different instructional areas; however, “no one science has a monopoly on it.” We certainly agree, and applaud your suggestion (https://www.bsci21.org/why-behavior-analysis-needs-to-keep-up-with-other-sciences/) promoting the idea that behavior analysts should increase their efforts to learn from and work with practitioners in other professions. All practitioners, behavioral and otherwise, have a responsibility to use the best practices identified in their respective fields.
To “play nicely in the sandbox,” behavior analysts should consider using their skills in data analysis to assist those in other related fields to conduct meaningful research on their own practices. It should not be automatically assumed that the head seat at the autism treatment table is reserved for behavior analysts. Instead, behavior analysts are encouraged to continue to demonstrate the effectiveness of ABA in their practice and research, and to disseminate the ethical importance of using evidence to support treatments for clients. Perhaps by working with practitioners in other fields and promoting science-based treatment practices through a team-based approach, behavior analysts can spread the important message that data-driven, ethically-sound autism treatments are in the best interest of the clients they serve and their respective fields.
Patrick O’Leary, MA, BCBA and Elizabeth G. Callahan, MA, BCaBA
Association for Science in Autism Treatment
References
Bourret, J., & Vollmer, T. R. (2003). Basketball and the matching law. Behavioral Technology Today, 3,
2-6.
Carr, E. G., & Durand, V. M. (1985). Reducing behavior problems through functional communication
training. Journal of Applied behavior Analysis, 18 (2), 111-126.
Centers for Disease Control (2014). Community report on autism. Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/states/comm_report_autism_2014.pdf
National Autism Center (2015). National standards, phase 2. Retrieved from
http://www.nationalautismcenter.org/national-standards-project/results-reports/
Skinner, B. F. (1953). Science and human behavior. Free Press: New York, NY.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Surgeon General. (1999). Mental health: A report of the
Surgeon General. Washington, DC: Author.
For reprint permission of this email, please contact:
Executive Director, Association for Science in Autism Treatment
David Celiberti, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Hoboken, NJ 07030
201-459-1822
[email protected]
The well-rounded topics covered in bSci.org are inspiring. Dr. Ward, I predict this information you disseminate about behavior analytic principles across so many settings will encourage the trend for the science to reach a much broader audience than it has in the past. Thanks for your contribution.
Thank you, sir!
Hi There –
I’m wondering if your Culture & Turnover CE course (link below) would count toward Supervision CEs. It isn’t explicitly stated in the course description. Thanks!
https://bsci21.org/shop/ceus/on-demand/how-aba-agencies-can-improve-corporate-culture-to-reduce-turnover-and-increase-quality-of-services-1-ceu/
Hi Megan,
At this time we do not have supervision CEs. Thanks for your interest!