The Behaviorist Bookclub

The Behaviorist Bookclub

by Matt Harrington, BCBA

How To Mental Health

Precursors Decoded: ABA Strategies for Early Intervention

In this episode, Matt unpacks Jacoby & Smith’s seminal 2012 study on identifying and functionally analyzing precursors to severe self-injury. You’ll learn how spotlighting and reinforcing milder, earlier behaviors can prevent dangerous escalations and why precursor assessments are the future of safe, effective functional analyses. Check out the show notes for article links and supporting information at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog.

Custom Functional Analyses: Turn Messy Data into Clear Functions

In this episode of the Behaviorist Book Club, Matt breaks down Fisher, Iwata, and colleagues’ comprehensive review of how to modify functional analyses to account for idiosyncratic variables. You’ll discover practical strategies for tweaking antecedents and consequences, using deep caregiver interviews, and individualizing your FA conditions so that unclear data can turn into clean, actionable functions—and more effective interventions. Want the full article list and bonus resources? Check out the show notes at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog.

Decoding ABA Ethics: Evaluating Intent and Environmental Factors

On this episode of the Behaviorist Book Club, Matt Harrington breaks down Cicero’s 2021 article on ethical practice in ABA, showing why ethics are never just black-and-white, how environmental contingencies reveal intent, and which biases—self-serving reinforcement, incrementalism, framing, conformity, and overconfidence—most often lead practitioners astray. Discover practical strategies for assessing intent, reinforcing prosocial behavior, and creating a culture that stops small lapses from snowballing into major violations. For all the article links and supporting materials, check out the show notes at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog.

Trauma-Informed ABA: Mastering Safety, Trust & Skill Building

In this episode, Matt breaks down Morris et al.’s (2021) landmark article on trauma-informed care in applied behavior analysis. You’ll discover the four core commitments—acknowledging trauma, ensuring safety and trust, promoting choice and shared governance, and emphasizing skill building—and hear real-world examples of how this framework transformed clinical practice. Check out the show notes for article links and supporting resources at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog.

Assent-Based ABA: Centering Choice for Better Outcomes

In this episode of the Behaviorist Book Club, Matt Harrington kicks off the Essential Readings for Behavior Analysts series by unpacking Moore et al.’s (2024) JABA article on assent. Discover why centering learner choice is crucial for better outcomes, what true assent-based care really looks like, and the six key considerations—feasibility, skill assessment, procedure design, fair choices, timing of assent checks, and defining assent-related behaviors—you need to embed assent into your ABA practice. Ready to elevate client autonomy and social validity? Check out the show notes for article links and supporting resources at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog.

Supervision Mastery: Empowering First-Year BCBAs to Thrive

In this episode, Matt wraps up our supervision series by unpacking Brown et al. (2023)’s survey of early‐career BCBAs—who’s getting oversight, how much they receive, what support they crave, and the strong link between supervision and reduced burnout. Discover why 98% of new BCBAs want more guidance, why many back a one‐year post‐certification supervision mandate, and practical tips for balancing supervision time with business needs. Check out the show notes for article links and supporting info at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog

Mastering BCBA Supervision

In this episode of the Behaviors Book Club, Matt Harrington delves into a Behavior Analysis in Practice article on the day-to-day supervision habits of Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs) working with trainees. You’ll hear which supervisory behaviors—like setting clear expectations and giving in-the-moment feedback—are most common, which practices tend to fall by the wayside (think formal scheduling, self-evaluation, ongoing professional development), and how some of these habits weakly correlate with higher exam pass rates. If you’re a new or seasoned BCBA ready to up your supervision game, this one’s for you. Want the full article link and all supporting resources? Head to the show notes at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog.

Supervising with Compassion: ABA Research to Practice

In this episode of the Behaviors Book Club, Matt Harrington breaks down D’NRI et al. (2023) “A Multi-Level Framework for Compassionate Care in ABA,” exploring how organizations, supervisors, and direct therapists can embed kindness and psychological flexibility into every layer of service delivery. Discover why shifting from buzzword “compassionate care” to actionable policies and supervision strategies leads to happier clients, more stable teams, and stronger outcomes, without sacrificing efficiency. Ready to transform your practice? Check out the show notes for full article links and supporting resources at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog.

Scalable ABA Supervision: Video Modeling & Voiceover Feedback

In this episode of the Behaviors Book Club, Matt Harrington unpacks Carol et al.’s 2022 JABA study on using video modeling with voiceover to train supervisors in delivering performance feedback. Learn how this scalable, efficient approach boosts procedural fidelity, cuts down on in-person training time, and sets the stage for broader applications—from caregiver coaching to AI‐enhanced task analyses. Check out the show notes for article links and supporting resources at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog

ABA Fidelity & Feedback: Bridging Research to Practice

In this “spicy” episode, Matt Harrington unpacks Colon et al.’s (2024) survey on procedural integrity in applied settings—revealing how most BCBAs know fidelity matters but few track or use the data, the gaps in training, and the everyday barriers (time, competing priorities, lack of systems). Matt shares simple, real-world tips for starting small—so you can boost intervention success immediately. Check out the show notes for article links and all supporting resources at www.behavioristbookclub.com/blog.

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