Changing Stories: Recent Episodes
Elizabeth and Hillary
In the Changing Stories Podcast, ABA professionals Elizabeth and Hillary talk about topics related to Autism Spectrum Disorder and the ins and outs of working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. They discuss their own personal experiences that brought them to ABA and their passions in relation to their work.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary talk more about ethics in ABA. Here is a link to the BACB Ethical Code: https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Ethics-Code-for-Behavior-Analysts-230119-a.pdf
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss the various uses for visual aids within ABA.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss their experiences with and views on choosing the schooling that is right for your child.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this light episode, Elizabeth and Hillary recap the four functions of behavior and discuss whether control should be included as a separate function in ABA.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss issues and tips related to vacationing.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss the importance of teaching children (especially those with autism) how to swim.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discusses their personal experiences with medication. They are not medical professionals; but share their personal views and stories on the topic.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary share their opinions on the assent movement within ABA.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss their views on the use of escape extinction in modern ABA.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
This episode returns to the topic of shaping. Elizabeth talk about going to the dentist with her daughter and Hillary discusses her past with doctor offices. They discuss ways that shaping procedures can be used to teach people how to wear clothes for different seasons, shoes, and glasses.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss punishment practices within ABA.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
This week is a lighter episode on how to support friends and family members who have a child with special needs. Elizabeth shares some of her own experience as a mother and Hillary talks about friendships during adulthood.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss viewpoints surrounding abuse allegations within ABA clinics and ABA as a science.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary go in-depth on the topic of motivation. They describe how motivation can be increased or decreased to change the likelihood of certain behaviors occurring. They relate motivating operations to behavior reduction and skill acquisition.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss ways to promote independence using ABA-based strategies. They share examples from their own lives.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss ways that parents and caregivers can promote the generalization of skills learned in structured ABA into the natural environment. They also give an overview of strategies used in skill acquisition, such as shaping, chaining, and prompting.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
Elizabeth and Hillary resume their discussion on toilet training using ABA-based strategies. They talk about how toilet training is typically conducted, how to foster success, and common pitfalls.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this first installment, Elizabeth and Hillary talk about factors to consider and preparation before beginning toilet training.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss friendships. They talk about ways to make friends as an adult and parent and they describe ways that ABA can teach social skills to people of all ages.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary get personal. Elizabeth shares her story of being a parent of an adult with autism who lives with chronic pain. Hillary discloses the affect her medical fear has on her life. Together, they talk to parents, adults with medical aversions, and professionals in the field about navigating medical issues among those with autism.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary resume their conversation on Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). They discuss how to train communicative skills using both high and low-tech AAC technology.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary define and discuss AAC. Elizabeth shares her family's journey with AAC and Hillary gives her perspective on learning about AAC as an outsider with no previous knowledge. They discuss different modes of communication, pros and cons of each, and give tips for addressing the cost of voice-output AAC systems. Next week, the series will continue with a description of functional communication training using AAC.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss birthday parties, gift opening, cake, and parental expectations.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss self-care in relationship to parenting children with autism. Elizabeth shares her experiences as a parent and gives tips to others for promoting one's own needs when feeling overwhelmed.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss contingency contracts and New Year's Resolutions. The book they reference is Carrots and Sticks by Ian Ayers, available here : https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/6794/carrots-and-sticks-by-ian-ayres/
The website that goes along with the book is https://www.stickk.com/
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary further their discussion on reinforcement by detailing the use of token systems and self-management boards. They give examples of ways in which these strategies can be used both in increasing and reducing target behaviors.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary dive deep into reinforcement within ABA. They define reinforcement, describe different reinforcement schedules, and discuss various types of reinforcers.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In behaviorism, treatment focuses on behavior that can be seen from the outside. In this episode; Elizabeth and Hillary discuss the place of emotions, thoughts, and feelings within ABA. They talk about how emotions are conceptualized and how clients can be taught to identify and cope with their emotions through the lens of behaviorism. Importantly, the ladies also identify what parts of emotions are within the scope of behavior analysis and issues that need to be addressed by other mental health professionals.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
This week, Elizabeth and Hillary wrap up their holiday series with thoughts on gift opening, relatives, and holiday traditions.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary take a break from heavy and complex ABA-related theory to discuss lighter topics. These include the future of the field, the population of people with autism as they age, sources of stress, the role of technology in our lives, and we share a little more about ourselves. Next week, we will resume our regular podcast format.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this week's podcast, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss traveling, going to relatives' houses, and attending community events during the holidays.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss different types of feeding issues commonly reported by families. They describe ABA-based interventions that can be used to increase food acceptance and the ways in which ABA professionals collaborate with others in relation to feeding treatment.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
Elizabeth and Hillary discuss issues related to Thanksgiving, such as trying new foods, sitting at the table, conversing with family, and riding in the car.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by case-basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary share personal stories about their experiences with elopement. Elizabeth describes precautions parents can take. Linked below is a doorknob lock that can be reversed so that a code must be used to leave the home.
https://www.amazon.com/iulock-Keyless-Waterproof-Install-Program/dp/B0B2MPYRKP/ref=sr_1_99_sspa?crid=1A4YE6W3DIRX7&keywords=exterior%2Bdoor%2Block%2Bset%2Bwith%2Bdeadbolt%2Bkeypad&qid=1666721487&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI1LjY4IiwicXNhIjoiNS4xNiIsInFzcCI6IjQuMTAifQ%3D%3D&sprefix=exterior%2Bdoor%2Bwith%2Bkeypad%2Block%2Caps%2C132&sr=8-99-spons∣=A1X437OXJL94QQ&th=1
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
This episode is a deep dive into shaping; the process of building a learner up to a skill gradually. Elizabeth and Hillary relate shaping to entering an aversive environment, sitting at a table, exercising, and language acquisition.
Hillary discusses an article about independence and habilitation in relationship to personal choice among people with disabilities. The article is here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1286212/
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by case-basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
After taking a break to discuss Halloween, Elizabeth and Hillary pick up where they left off talking about functions of behavior. In addition to the four functions, they dive into replacement behaviors and the importance of functional matching.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by case-basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary use Halloween to illustrate how ABA can increase communication and social skills in the natural environment. They talk about shaping and desensitization as related to Halloween and share stories from their lives. Next week, the Functions of Behavior series will continue.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by case-basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary go over the four functions of behavior: attention, escape/avoidance, tangibles, and sensory/automatic. This episode describes the basic building blocks of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and differentiates between responding to behavior by form and responding by function.
DISCLAIMER: Nothing presented in the Changing Stories Podcast or Blog creates a client-professional relationship between you and Elizabeth Hewatt, BCBA or you and Hillary Bolton, BCaBA. These materials were developed for informational purposes only and should not be considered specific medical, behavioral, legal, or therapeutic advice. All client decisions must be made on a case-by case-basis, as determined by the judgment of the treating Behavior Analyst.
In this episode, Elizabeth and Hillary discuss the roles within clinical Applied Behavior Analysis and the responsibilities associated with these roles. They also compare in-clinic services to in-home services across a variety of needs and give suggestions for what to look for when touring a clinic.
Elizabeth and I will be having a small event this Sunday (9/18/22) at Texas Avenue Park in Webster. The address is 17100 N Texas Ave, Webster, TX, 77598 and the event is from 12PM-5PM. It is an in-and-out event with no registration necessary. Feel free to stop by with your friends and family; we will have activities and snacks for kids and information for those interested in our services. If you have questions, feel free to contact us at www.changingstories.net.
Hope to see you there!
-Hillary
Receiving news that your child qualifies for a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can feel like wading into unfamiliar waters. Elizabeth shares her insights as a parent who has recieved this news and recommends the next steps to take.
I strongly believe that each child's uniqueness and individual strengths should be championed, not smothered. I also believe that true autonomy comes from not being held back by aversions in the environment, such as smells, sounds, or feared activities that can restrict people with ASD from doing the things that they enjoy. I am an assistant to the BCBA, so all treatment practices I carry out are under Elizabeth Hewatt's guidance and supervision. We believe in a collaborative approach that combines her experience from the parent's perspective with my experience with many of the struggles faced by clients. Although I am new in the field, I have learned so much from being supervised by Elizabeth in various contexts and from the families and children with whom I have had the privilege of working. When talking to families and clients, I always put myself in the place of the client and I think of how I would want to be treated. One of my favorite features of the science of ABA is that it is meant to be highly individualized to each client and family. We do not believe in a "one size fits all" approach and we believe that treatment is effective only if it melds into the daily life and community of the people for whom it is created.
In the Changing Stories Podcast, ABA professionals Elizabeth and Hillary talk about topics related to Autism Spectrum Disorder and the ins and outs of working in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis. They discuss their own personal experiences that brought them to ABA and their passions in relation to their work.
I received a master’s degree in Autism and ABA to learn as much as I could to help my own daughter. In the end, I discovered a career that I love. I have spent the past decade working with so many families that have their own story of how Autism changed their lives. I am passionate about helping children and parents, so that each child can be as successful and happy as possible. I have learned so much from raising my children and from each family I have encountered.