ABA this week
01/11/26-01/17/26
Scholarly publications
Includes peer reviewed journals within and adjacent to behavior analysis
(Starred journals available to BCBAs through the BACB portal)
Behavior Analysis in Practice
1/14 Carr, C.E., Kracht, M.J., Gardner, A.W. et al. An Interdisciplinary Team Approach to the Assessment and Treatment of PANS/PANDAS. Behav Analysis Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01148-8
(Open access) PANS/PANDAS are “abrupt onset” pediatric behavioral disorders that require medical and behavioral intervention. The authors describe the functioning of an interdisciplinary team
1/15 Thompson, R.L., McMahon, J.S., Herrera, A.A. et al. Developing a Comprehensive Supervision Program for Aspiring Behavior Analysts: A Tutorial. Behav Analysis Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01153-x
The authors describe a supervision program that implements recommendations from the literature, including data. They include 4 supervision documents in the supplementary info: a preliminary assessment/interview form, feedback forms, and sample exercises
The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
1/13 Li, T., Cengher, M., Cortez, M.D. et al. A Comparison of Sequential and Simultaneous Tact Instruction: A Pilot Study. Analysis Verbal Behav (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-025-00220-2
2 bilingual autistic kids learned to tact in 2 languages sequentially (e.g., first native language, then English) or simultaneously. Both conditions resulted in mastery
Education and Treatment of Children
1/13 Wine, B., Newcomb, E.T. On Banning Seclusion versus Establishing Enforceable Standards for Managing Dangerous Behavior in Schools: A Response to Krezmien and Mulcahy (2024). Educ. Treat. Child. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-025-00172-1
Krezmien and Mulcahy (2024) is entitled “A Call for the End of School Seclusion,“ and certainly that’s the point they make. Wine and Newcomb (2026) have a measured response where they acknowledge that seclusion is overused and poorly regulated, but rather than call for ending it, they call for oversight and regulation
Journal of Behavioral Education
1/16 Malone, E.J., Tuck, K.N. & Fu, Y. Self-Advocacy and Social Problem-Solving Intervention for Preschoolers with Social and Behavioral Support Needs. J Behav Educ (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-025-09614-7
3 conditions were used to teach social problem solving: control, visuals, and visuals with precorrection. Visuals with precorrection was most effective in increasing independent social problem solving
1/17 Grekov, P., Pustejovsky, J.E. A Gentle Introduction to Bayesian Posterior Predictive Checking for Single-Case Researchers. J Behav Educ (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-025-09613-8
(Open access) The authors introduce a statistical measure that can be helpful for researchers
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
1/16 Process-Based Therapy in an Interdisciplinary Framework for Pain Recovery: from psychological processes to interdisciplinary processes
(In press) A broad discussion of process-based therapy for pain management
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 332 - Motivational Interviewing w/ Dr. Monica Gilbert
Behavioral Observations
The Four Leadership Hats: Applying Behavioral Science to Leadership and Supervision — Session 321 with John Guercio
Inside the BACB
Making Sense of Fieldwork
Blogs
Generally these are produced by professionals
ABAI
“Happiness Isn’t Something That Happens to You. It’s Something That You Do”
Tom Critchfield describes how to be happy
Licensing & professional organizations
BACB
BCBA/BCaBA Fieldwork Self-Assessment
“This fieldwork self-assessment was created so trainees and supervisors can evaluate their own knowledge regarding the BACB’s BCBA and BCaBA supervised fieldwork requirements.”
Making Sense of Fieldwork
A new podcast and several fieldwork documents
CASP
CASP Acquires Jade Health, Including BHCOE
Once upon a time, we thought that BHCOE was doing amazing work in certifying quality ABA organizations. Then the CEO published a paper in a journal that was moderately boosting private equity, quickly retracted due to fake citations that were most likely from AI authorship. She stepped down as CEO but stayed with the company, which rebranded and started offering both accreditation and “business development” (seemingly a conflict of interest?). CASP, meanwhile, is a nonprofit that (among other things) certifies for quality -- hopefully this is a positive change
ASAT
Review of Evidence About ABA Treatment for Young Children with Autism: The Impact of Treatment Intensity on Outcomes (CASP, 2025)
The CASP document (available here) is a great summary of current evidence for EIBI that should be required reading for all BCBAs and aspiring BCBAs
ASAN
ASAN Announces Autistic Barbie!
ASAN worked with Mattel to produce Autistic Barbie. Thoughts on this: wonderful for kids to have representation. Any complaints we have are with capitalism
Business world
Autism services, behavioral health, etc.
Another PE company exits ABA and Idaho is probably trying to cut ABA payments
Neither entity wants to talk on the record. Private equity investment dries up just as states cut rates and payments. We suspected PE would exit ABA in droves last year, but is the downside a larger payment contraction?
Accidentally behavior analysis
A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis
What Having a Fake Disease Taught Me About Health Care, The Atlantic
Nearly every accredited medical school in America uses fake patients – people paid to memorize symptoms, to be treated by medical students. This is done, in part, because empathetic practitioners have better health outcomes for their patients. This is a paradoxical finding: the best physician is not the most skilled, but perhaps one that balances skill and empathy.
Continuing education
UPCOMING:
BehaviorLive has free events: 1/22 (SUP), 1/27, 1/28 (SUP), 1/29, 1/30
Flashback
Are cats “genetically wired” to kill mice?
In 1930, a physiologist briefly raised kittens in different conditions. Some were fed vegetarian diets, some were raised as usual, but none were permitted to witness older cats attacking mice. Later, they were presented with different types of mice or rats during a 30 minute period every 4 days. 11 kittens did not kill the mice, while 9 did.
In another experiment, he raised kittens in a cage with a rat companion; the majority of cats did not kill the rat.
Nearly 40 years later, he clarified his position based on further experiments: animals can engage in a broad range of behaviors – rat killer, rat lover, rat ignorer – based on characteristics of the animal, its developmental history, and its environment.
Carr is still at it! Thank you for the resources.