t.l.b.c

Sara is another of our experienced and highly skilled BCBAs - AND she’s a certified sleep coach! Stay tuned this week for more information on sleep training that Sara will share with us!

Whether you’re a parent, provider, or aspiring professional- check out these awesome must-follow accounts all about speech & language!

Toni Rose is another incredible BCBA here at The Language and Behavior Center! She not only brightens all of our Zoom meetings with her smile and energy, but gives her all in a unique and comprehensive approach to treatment for her clients!

Speech Therapy is an important part of TLBC’s mission to provide well-rounded and individualized treatment for the families we work with! Whether you’re thinking of becoming an SLP or are wondering what services you can benefit from, scroll through to learn more!

Becca Murray is one of our talented and dedicated BCBAs! She specializes in early intervention and advocating for early screenings and effective treatment. Lately she’s been working closely with daycares and preschools to help them apply behavior management techniques for children and staff - particularly in managing the unique barriers caused by the pandemic.

We are so lucky to have Becca as part of our TLBC family!

It’s no secret that Jack loves lions - and no accident either! Jack’s parents exposed him to a variety of toy animals and when he began to show interest in the lion, they used it as an opportunity to teach and encourage lots of social and verbal play while also incorporating his interests!

If your child is showing particular interest in an object - whether it be a stuffed animal, a toy car, a princess character, a love for music, etc. - use it to your advantage! The possibilities to language building are endless if you just know where to look!

Swipe to see some examples of all the things we say to Jack on a daily basis that incorporate his love of lions and teach him skills in his own natural environment.

What are some of your favorite Natural Environment Teaching activities?

These are our top 5 favorite books about Autism, ranging from the perspectives of society, parenting, and autistic individuals. Great & essential reads for everyone!

What’s your 10/10 recommendation for books and resources on Autism Spectrum Disorder?

We get a lot of questions from parents about how to build intrinsic motivation in a child when we are often reinforcing their behavior with extrinsic rewards. It may seem counterintuitive but external rewards are actually used as a tool to teach intrinsic motivation 🤯
And no matter how strong an intrinsic reward may be, we all still need external rewards to keep us going, especially when the response effort gets high!

Next time you worry if your child is too extrinsically motivated - ask yourself if you would do your job for free (no matter how much you love it!), or if you’re looking forward to a vacation. Kids need the same little pushes we do to get through challenges - it’s all about balance!

What are some of your go-to extrinsic and intrinsic rewards?

We are so grateful Tyler moved from South Carolina to Maryland to be closer to TLBC clients and staff! Anyone that’s worked with Tyler knows he’s committed to his clients and a great role model for his RBTs 🔥🔥👏🏻

Punishment is never as simple as it seems. While it has its place in modifying behavior, its side effects often aren’t worth the outcome. The important thing to remember is it’s only an effective punishment if it decreases or eliminates the target behavior from happening again. Otherwise, it’s just an aversive experience OR unintentionally reinforcing other unwanted behaviors.

Just like with reinforcers, punishers are also dependent on the individual. Ongoing assessment and analysis is key when using these behavior principles!

Reinforcement is a major player in our daily behavior and habits. The more reward we get for an action, the more likely we are to do it again!
As parents and educators, we are often looking at what reinforcers are maintaining a child’s behavior, but we forget that our own histories of reinforcement dictate our responses too. Remember to analyze both sides of the equation when seeking a behavior change strategy!

What’s your biggest reinforcer?

Making requests is called “Manding” in the ABA world 😊
In order for it to be a true mand, there must be motivation established and a conditional consequence that follows. Simply put, the child must want the item requested and use/consume it once it’s given.

What are some common examples of mands in your everyday life?