ABA this week
01/18/26-01/24/26
Scholarly publications
Includes peer reviewed journals within and adjacent to behavior analysis
(Starred journals available to BCBAs through the BACB portal)
Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis *
1/19 Loomis, K., Morales, L., Yeo, Y., & Fienup, D. M. (2026). Turning the page: Increasing young children’s preference for looking at and engaging with books. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 59(1), e70051. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70051
Preference for books was increased in children by providing social and other reinforcers during reading. In a second experiment, books then served as reinforcers for other behaviors
1/22 Auten, E. M., & Peterson, K. M. (2026). The role of re-presentation in the treatment of liquid expulsion. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 59(1), e70052. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70052
(Open access) One feeding difficulty is called expulsion, wherein the person spits or allows liquid to fall from their mouth. The authors used re-presentation and other treatments in 17 clients, which was most effective for 10/17
1/23 Sullivan, E. K., Fahmie, T. A., & Gehringer, J. E. (2026). Using wearable technology to evaluate the electrodermal activity of therapists assessing challenging behavior. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 59(1), e70050. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70050
(Open access) Heart rate doesn’t predict destructive behavior, but what does it say about the practitioner during an FA? The practitioner is stressed
Behavior Analysis in Practice
1/21 Norris, H.M., Mitteer, D.R., Hurd, A.M. et al. Integrating Client and Implementer Preferences During Functional Communication Training with Discriminative Stimuli. Behav Analysis Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01091-8
FCT can be modified by signaling periods of availability (SD) or unavailability (Sdelta); this article is a tutorial. Here is a video example of one version of how it might be done
Behavioral Interventions * Volume 41, Issue 1 (9 articles, 0 open access)
Most intriguing: The Effects of Sensory Integration and Physical Exercise on the Stereotypy of Preschoolers With Autism
“Physical exercise” is superior to Sensory Integration in treating automatically maintained stereotypy
Perspectives on Behavior Science
1/22 Schlinger, H.D., Blakely, E. A Mediational Theory of Verbal Relations. Perspect Behav Sci (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-025-00491-z
Schlinger & Blakely follow up a series of 40 year-old articles (!), and a more recent article, arguing that “derived” relations are directly but not explicitly trained and thus don’t exist per se
1/23 Thompson, R.H. Citing the Literature. Perspect Behav Sci (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-025-00490-0
Rachel Thompson argues that scientific literature sometimes mischaracterizes cited work, which everyone knows
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior *
1/19 Mason, M. G., Accattato, S., Barba, R., Bruce, S., Murphy, S., Richardson, E. J., Bruce, K., & Galizio, M. (2026). Reinstatement and a resurgence-like effect in an odor-signaled multiple schedule in rats. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 125(1), e70079. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.70079
(Open access) Rats were subject to a multiple schedule of reinforcement signaled by odors, followed by extinction of various schedules. More reinstatement was associated with schedules with higher rates of reinforcement and more recent reinforcement
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
1/21 Charting Behavioral Cascades from Difficult Experiences to Well-Being or Distress: Testing the Unified Flexibility & Mindfulness Model with Network Analyses of Longitudinal Change
(In press) In a survey, the authors find that mindfulness and distractedness have opposite effects on behavior and well-being
1/24 (Deictic) Relational Responding is not Related to Autism Traits in the General Population
(In press) Over 100 people were tested in 2 experiments for 8 relations, and in particular the 2nd experiment was designed around perspective-taking. Performance on relational tasks was not correlated with autistic traits
Book publications
Textbooks, handbooks, manuals, or mass-market
Upcoming:
Navigating Ethics in Behavior Analysis: Dealing with Gray Areas, Carr (Available now)
Digital Technologies in Behavior Science: Theoretical and Practical Applications, Crone-Todd, Hantula, Layng (Eds.) (Pre-order Feb 2026)
Promoting Language for Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Verbal Behavior Guide for Practitioners, Vladescu & Kissamore (Eds.) (Pre-order)
AIM Navigators, Dixon (Pre-order)
Recent:
2025
Podcasts
ABA Inside Track
Episode 333 - (ETHICS) (LISTENER CHOICE) Risk Assessment w/ Dr. Stephanie Peterson, Dr. Rebecca Eldridge, + Dr. Neil Deochand
All Things Behavior
The Potential Evocative Effect of Leisure Item Omission in the Attention and Escape Conditions of a Functional Analysis with Isaac Melanson and Tara Fahmie
Blogs
Generally these are produced by professionals
Licensing & professional organizations
Business world
Autism services, behavioral health, etc.
States Refine ABA Coverage: New Hour Caps, Age Limits, Rate Cuts
Several legislative bills are examined:
Indiana may cap weekly hours (30-38) and lifetime duration of treatment (3 years)
Washington state may be looking to cut costs, and may cut rates for providers with waits over 30 days
Hawaii limits ABA to age 13 and under (probably violating MHP), but may eliminate the age cap
New York may establish yearly hour caps for ABA and DIR-Floortime, and also define what a DIR-Floortime practitioner is
Florida may be removing barriers to credentialing, age barriers to treatment, and barriers to timely payment
Accidentally behavior analysis
A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis
Man Trains Crows to Attack MAGA Hats, Futurism
Crows can remember humans who have wronged them for at least 17 years and can somehow communicate these facts to other crows. Crows can create and even combine “tools.” People on social media were skeptical of this article, but frankly it would be trivial to train crows. Here is the thread, and I’ll just note that the trainer has trained the crows to pick up hats with their talons – not to “attack,” even though the trainer phrases it as such.
Continuing education
UPCOMING:
BehaviorLive has free events: 1/27, 1/28 (SUP), 1/29, 1/30
Flashback
The best (or worst?) article by Dick Malott
We have hesitated to post this one because it’s a 30 year-old article with some ideas about sexuality and gender that are, to say the least, outdated. Still, it makes a convincing argument from an epigenetic standpoint. To wit: maybe everyone is born with the same general and very broad genetic potential, and many aspects are shaped by the environment early in development. This does not “feel” true, but that’s because the shaping happened so early in development.
I like the organization by journal and thanks for that excellent summary of the Malott article