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 *
3/23 Hedroj, Z., Rey, C. N., Passage, M., & O'Neill, P. (2026). Teaching children with autism to challenge lies while playing board games. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 59(2), e70059. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.70059
3 autistic boys were taught to challenge 5 different lies while playing a board game, using naturalistic teaching procedures, and then tested on 5 probe lies. All subjects acquired and maintained the skill

Behavior Analysis in Practice
3/24 Howard, J.S., Morrison, K., Sundberg, D. et al. The Women in Behavior Analysis Hall of Fame: 2022 Inductees. Behav Analysis Practice (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-026-01174-0
6 women are inducted into the 2022 Behavior Analysis Hall of Fame: "Ellen Reese, Barbara Etzel, Beth Sulzer-Azaroff, Frances Horowitz, Julie Vargas, and Gwendolyn Cartledge"

Behavioral Interventions *
Gray, Kate N., Raymond G.Miltenberger, and Emma J.Walker. 2026. “Evaluating a Web-Based Training to Teach Behavior Analysis Students to Implement Behavioral Skills Training,” Behavioral Interventions: e70089. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.70089
Web-based technology was used to teach BST to students, so that the students could use BST to teach kids medication safety. It was effective for 1/3 participants, while 2/3 participants required additional feedback

3/25 Noell, George H., Kristin A.Gansle, Hannah M.Sliman, and Danielle M. D.Lucia. 2026. “Establishing Hierarchical Classification Responding: Directly Trained and Emergent Responses,” Behavioral Interventions: e70090. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.70090
(Open access) The authors trained kids to categorize multiple exemplars of stimuli (e.g., several pictures of Jurassic dinosaurs) and tested for transfer of stimulus function and for categorizing new exemplars. It emerged without direct instruction for some kids, and the remaining kids learned with direct instruction

3/27 Luiselli, James K., FrankBird, Jill M.Harper, Mary J.Weiss, AmandaDuffy, and MattDye. 2026. “Quality of Life in Adults With Intellectual Disability: Observation-Measurement Findings and Social Validity Among Direct Service Providers,” Behavioral Interventions: e70084. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.70084
The Melmark folks designed a 12-item survey for direct staff to fill out about clients in order to measure their quality of life. The tool had good IOA and social validity

Perspectives on Behavior Science Volume 49, Issue 1 (10 articles, 3 open access)
Most intriguing: Context, Consequence, Coincidence, and Cumulative Cultural Evolution: Linking Creativity and Culturo-Behavioral Phenomena Together Using Systems Principles and Processes of Selection by Consequences
(Open access) A summary of two presentations, each with incredible ideas on evolution, behavior, and design

3/25 Romani, P.W., D’Mello, S.K., Moulder, R.M. et al. Using Wearable Technology to Predict the Occurrence of Severe Behavior Problems among Neurodiverse Individuals: A Systematic Review. Perspect Behav Sci (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-026-00497-1
(Open access) 13 studies have examined whether you can predict severe problem behavior, but results are inconclusive. We've reported on these in the past few years, including a failure of heart rate and a failure of accelerometer data to accurately and consistently predict behavior 

Baum, W.M. Behavior, Process, and Evolution in the Multiscale Molar Paradigm. Perspect Behav Sci (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-026-00501-8
(Open access) William Baum's theory of everything?

Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior *
3/22 Abuin, S., Catalano, M.Jr., & Jones, S. H. (2026). A comparative analysis of experimental designs for procedural fidelity investigations. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 125(2), e70097. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.70097
In a translational study, students were subject to fidelity errors of 50% in either a multi-element or reversal design, and conditions were signaled or unsignaled. More target responding occurred in the 50% fidelity condition, regardless of signaling. When 100% and 50% fidelity were alternated without signals, less responding occurred in the 50% fidelity condition

Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions *
3/22 Gahtan, J., Moeyaert, M., Asaro-Saddler, K., Yu, E. C., & Orlowski, E. (2026). Self-Management Strategies and Academic Engagement for Autistic Students: A Multilevel Meta-Analysis of Single-Case Experimental Designs. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 0(0) https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007251389292
In a literature review, 14 studies were identified that used self-management for autistic students in the school setting. Self-management was found to increase academic engagement by about 49%, but with variability between studies 

Dufour, M.-M., Martin, V., Préfontaine, I., Hogan, M., & Argumedes, M. (2026). Co-construction of a Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Model in a Residential Care Setting for Autistic Adults: Exploring Implementation Barriers and Facilitators. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 0(0) https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007251389270
(Open access) The authors adapted the PBIS model for a residential facility for adults in Canada. The authors found that it was challenging and time-consuming to implement, and that staff did not have motivation to engage with the system

3/27 Truman, K. J., Van Norman, E. R., & Kilgus, S. P. (2026). An Estimation of Trend Variability and Change Sensitivity of Direct Behavior Rating–Single Item Scales. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 0(0) https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007251386077
The authors used various behavior rating scales for kids, both academic and behavioral, over the course of a few weeks, and found that there were changes in many of the ratings 

Layden, S. J., Lorio-Barsten, D. K., Holthaus, L., Hollins, N. A., Rhodes, L., Austin, K., & Berlin, K. L. (2026). School-Based Behavior Analysts: A Grounded Theory Study on How They See Their Roles. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 0(0) https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007251389273
A qualitative study examines the perspectives of 15 BCBAs in schools in America

The Analysis of Verbal Behavior
3/23 Rodriguez, B., Cividini-Motta, C. & Martinez, A. Using Instructive Feedback to Expand Second Language of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Analysis Verbal Behav (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40616-026-00227-3
There is a common misconception that teaching a second language will negatively impact a student's primary language, especially for children with special needs. In this study, the authors taught words in Spanish with instructional feedback in English (e.g., "Gato" "Si, gato! Cat!"). All subjects met criteria for Spanish-language tacts and also acquired English conditional discriminations

Journal of Behavioral Education
3/24 Özdemir, R., Sönmez, N. & Koldas, M. Assessing Pre-service Special Education Teachers’ Skills in Defining and Recording Target Behaviors. J Behav Educ (2026). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-026-09626-x
In Turkey, a video-based survey was sent to 106 pre-service special ed teachers. They were asked to write operational definitions and to select the appropriate data recording technique; the authors found "limited accuracy," implying that instruction alone was not enough to acquire these skills

Book publications

Textbooks, handbooks, manuals, or mass-market

Upcoming:
Personal Narratives on the Behavior Analysis of Human Language and Cognition: Stories from Around the World, Harte et al. (Eds.) (Jul 2026)
WAVE Prosocial Assessment and Curriculum, Rehfeldt & Dixon (Pre-order)
Digital Technologies in Behavior Science: Theoretical and Practical Applications, Crone-Todd, Hantula, Layng (Eds.) (Pre-order Feb 25, 2026)
AIM Navigators, Dixon (Pre-order)
Promoting Language for Learners with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Verbal Behavior Guide for Practitioners, Vladescu & Kissamore (Eds.)
Navigating Ethics in Behavior Analysis: Dealing with Gray Areas, Carr

Recent:
2025
2024
2023

Podcasts

ABA Inside Track
Public Posting

Blogs

Generally these are produced by professionals

ABAI
ABA Isn’t Just for the Kids: How Behavior Analysts Use Self-Management to Survive (and Thrive in) Doctoral Training
A guest post about self-management techniques

A Boojum Worth Taming: Theory, Behavior Systems, and “Constraints on Learning”
A guest post on understanding behavior as a result of the interplay of various systems with the environment. We'll have a related post soon

Steve Hayes
Don’t Chase Mood. Build a Life. Why ACT can help depression even when depression is not the direct target.
ACT reduced depression even when depression was not an explicit target, and this was true in several countries. This could be true because "reducing depression" is not something ACT would target; rather, "increasing enjoyment" might have this effect

Licensing & professional organizations

ASAN
ASAN Urges Department of Justice to Continue Investigating Restraint and Seclusion in Schools

Business world

Autism services, behavioral health, etc.

Indiana bars autism therapy provider from Medicaid billing: Wall Street Journal
Indiana was the first state in the nation to pass an insurance law mandating ABA coverage for children with autism, initiating coverage in 2001. 25 years later, they are capping treatment at 3 years in a lifetime, with 30-38 hours weekly. Providers like the one highlighted in the above article are (perhaps) one reason why:

Piece by Piece received the highest per-patient Medicaid payments in the U.S. in 2023 — about $340,000 on average — according to the report. The company set list prices that allowed it to collect up to $640 an hour for some services in 2024. From 2019 to 2023, Indiana paid the provider $58 million for autism therapy. 

The company treated 84 children with autism in 2023, according to the latest year of available data.

A provider that appears to treat less than 100 children per year makes almost $15 million per year, which could amount to more than $150,000 per child per year. The provider 1) followed the law, and 2) may be doing incredible and valuable work. But “the highest per-patient Medicaid payments in the U.S.” is going to raise red flags.

Accidentally behavior analysis

A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis

Abnormal behaviors in lab monkeys may reflect a lifetime of stressful experiences, Science
In observing 240 monkeys at research facilities in Oregon and California, 60% were found to engage in abnormal repetitive behaviors (ARB) such as rocking or hair pulling. The authors defined 12 aversive experiences, such as being placed in crowded cages or being separated from their mother. They found that the more aversive experiences that the monkeys had, the more ARBs they engaged in, and that each experience raised the chances of engaging in an ARB by about 50%.

There has been a recent movement in science to work with animals that are not single-genetic strain and raised in cages. While this complicates a study – the developmental history of a wild animal may be unknown – it may improve generality. 

Continuing education

UPCOMING:

BehaviorLive has free events: 3/31 (SUP), 4/1, 4/8, 4/10, 4/15, 4/23 (ETH), 4/28, 4/30 (ETH)

Flashback

Behavior of…dinosaurs?

In Vol 1 issue 4 of The Behavior Analyst Today (mercifully archived by the Wayback Machine), Derek Bousé, with a doctorate in communications, writes about a BBC program on dinosaurs.

How he found his way to this particular publication is anyone’s guess, but after some introductory remarks, he makes an important observation about a television program that is designed to look like a documentary:

It’s interesting that we truly don’t know how dinosaurs would have behaved.