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
5/5 Čolić, M. Overcoming Stigma in Neurodiversity: Toward Stigma-Informed ABA Practice. Behav Analysis Practice (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01064-x
Describing and addressing stigma (essentially a negative public evaluation)
5/8 Brinkerhoff, S., Carbone, V., O’Rourke, S. et al. A Preliminary Analysis of Joint Control Procedures to Teach Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Report Missing Items. Behav Analysis Practice (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-025-01063-y
Joint control was used to teach 2 children to respond to a missing item in an array when asked, "What's missing?" In some cases, this means the child might speak aloud the items in the array, before an item is removed. More on joint control procedures and joint control for dummies
Behavioral Interventions *
5/8 Bukszpan, A.R., Leaf, J.B., O'Brien, J.G., Lewis, A., Kristiansen, S., Lord, J., Axe, J. and Weiss, M.J. (2025), Utilizing the Teaching Interaction Procedure to Train Special Education Teachers in Behavioral Artistry. Behavioral Interventions, 40: e70017. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.70017
So: the lead author did this identical study with behavior techs, so perhaps this is an extension. Also: another APF/Endicott collaboration after a "removal"? We do like the original Richard Foxx concept anyway
5/10 Wilder, D.A. and Rafacz, S.D. (2025), A Review of Strategies and Tactics of Behavioral Research and Practice (Fourth Edition)By James M. Johnston, Henry S. Pennypacker, and Gina Green, New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor and Francis, 526 pp. $57.00–$135.00. ISBN-10: 1138641596, ISBN-13: 978-1138641596. Behavioral Interventions, 40: e70018. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.70018
You're not gonna believe this: they like it
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior *
5/6 Navarro, V. M., & Wasserman, E. A. (2025). Humans exhibit associative symmetry in the absence of backward training and stimulus overlap. Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.70020
(Open access) Humans exhibit associate symmetry (training: choose sun in presence of letter A, but choose flower in presence of letter B; untrained: when shown sun, will choose letter A over letter B), but there is very little evidence that it develops in animals, which some posit as evidence of unique human qualities. Some researchers argue that in fact studies on humans have presented stimuli in ways that facilitate symmetry; for example, with temporal overlap rather than sequentially. The authors present stimuli in study 1 so that it cannot be backward trained, and sequentially with a 1s delay in experiment 2, to human subjects, who developed symmetry, suggesting that stimulus overlap is not the reason for symmetry development in humans
5/7 Cameron, K. E., Muzumdar, A., Briden, K., & Starkey, N. J. (2025). Training numerousness to numerosity in the dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1002/jeab.70013
Some dogs can be trained to recognize significant differences between numbers (e.g., 1 versus 9); some can recognize the difference between 4 and 5; and some can recognize the difference between numbers when the smaller number is made to appear larger (e.g., 3 dots spread far apart versus 5 dots close together)
Education and Treatment of Children
5/5 Buzhardt, J., Carta, J.J., Greenwood, C.R. et al. Infant–Toddler Individual Growth and Development Indicators. Educ. Treat. Child. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43494-025-00159-y
In another paper from the Kansas Juniper Gardens Project preschool, the authors describe the developmental milestones assessment they developed to be used by staff
Journal of Behavioral Education
5/7 King, S., Glazek, C., Ross, M. et al. Preparing Staff to Implement Functional Communication Training: A Systematic Review of the Behavioral Skills Training Literature. J Behav Educ (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-025-09582-y
16 studies have used BST to teach FCT skills to teachers and other educators; the authors of this study criticize the quality of those studies
Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science
5/5 Nonarbitrary relational responding and early math development in young children
The authors tested 43 neurotypical and neurodivergent children, and find that nonarbitrary relational responding increases with age and is associated with improved math skills
Functional Connectivity Correlates of Psychological Flexibility: A Resting-State fMRI Study of the Default Mode and Dorsal Attention Networks
(In press) Resting state fMRI scans were compared to scores on a person's AAQ-II profile; more psychological flexibility was correlated with decreased connection in specific brain areas
European Journal of Behavior Analysis
Alessandri, J., Nuchadee, J., Nikolov, C., Leroy, B., Cançado, C., & Rivière, V. (2025). Effects of multiple examples and nonexamples on learning the concept of reinforcement by undergraduate students. European Journal of Behavior Analysis, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/15021149.2025.2500687
Using Direct Instruction, the authors find that teaching a definition plus positive examples was not enough to establish the concept of reinforcement; non-examples had to be included. Great to see researchers actually applying DI to real issues of learning ABA! A similar example is the NDBI-FI, which uses simple language with examples and nonexamples to teach skills
Book publications
Textbooks, handbooks, manuals, or mass-market
Upcoming:
AIM Navigators, Dixon (Pre-order)
A.I.M. Explorers Curriculum Book Volume 2 Mountain Climb, Dixon (Pre-order)
Handbook of Operant Behavioral Economics, Reed, Kaplan & Gilroy (Eds.) (Available Jul. 1, 2025)
New this quarter:
Ethical Decision Making in Applied Behavior Analysis, Schwartz & Kelly
Leadership and Management Practices in Human Services Organizations, Gardner et al.
Principles of Applied Behavior Analysis for Behavior Technicians and Other Practitioners, 4/E, Wallace & Mayer
Behavior Analysis for Lasting Change, 6/E, Mayer, Wallace, & Sulzer-Azaroff
Using Functional Analysis in Psychotherapy, Niklas Törneke
Handbook for Behavioral Skills Training, Edition 1, Sturmey & Maffei-Almodovar
Research Methods in Applied Behavior Analysis (3rd Edition), Bailey & Burch
Multiculturalism and Diversity in Applied Behavior Analysis: Bridging Theory and Application (2nd Edition), Conners & Capell (Eds.)
Talk Behavior to Me: The Routledge Dictionary of the Top 150 Behavior Analytic Terms and Translations, Samuel
The Behavior of Social Justice, Parks et al.
A Practical Guide to Functional Assessment and Treatment for Severe Problem Behavior, Jessel & Sturmey (Eds.)
Handbook of Organizational Performance, Volume II, D. Johnson & C. Johnson (Eds.)
Recent:
Podcasts
ABA Inside Track
May 2025 Preview
Episodes will include:
(UNLOCKED) Activity Schedules for Children with Autism Book Club
Pictorial and Video-Based Preference Assessments
Practicing Within a School Context w/ John Staubitz
Behavioral Observations
Understanding Repetitive Behavior: Session 299 with Bill Ahearn
Blogs
Generally these are produced by professionals
ABAI
An Introduction to The Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies and Its Role in Advancing Behavior Science Worldwide
Rob Holdsambeck describes the dissemination mission of the Cambridge Center
Game of Scones, OR: Is Autism the “Next Phase in Human Evolution”?
Are people on the spectrum less susceptible to control by community-based rules?
Licensing & professional organizations
BACB
2024 RBT® Examination Pass Rates for 40-Hour Training Providers
Highlights: BDS has a pass rate of 90% with over 700 testers; APF's free modules had over 14,000 testers with a 63% pass rate; a number of smaller providers had a pass rate of 33% or below
ASAN
ASAN explains the budget request
Business world
Autism services, behavioral health, etc.
Autism Therapy VBC Accountability Extends to Internal Processes
We should really be using OBM to manage processes. Also, for value-based care metrics:
“In our experience in working with payers, we take, like, 19 steps back and [suggest] parent satisfaction,” Jeff Beck, founder of digital ABA provider AnswersNow, said during the panel. “Our BCBAs are wringing their hands because that’s not ABA. We totally agree, but we have to do something to move forward so that we have a quality measure that we and the payer can align on, that’s not going to be convoluted by which assessment tool you’re using.”
That's social significance, and it's probably as good a measure as any.
Trump Administration Autism Data Platform to Focus on ‘Root Causes’ Using Medical Records, Insurance Claims and Wearables
The good news: they will only ever screw this up
Accidentally behavior analysis
A mainstream news article that relates to behavior analysis
"Profound Autism" Consensus Definition Debuts at INSAR, Psychology Today
This is, for better or worse, a step towards recognizing "profound autism" as a diagnosis. In a perfect world, this means more resources, care, and help for those with the most serious needs. Hopefully the current admin can speed this along with data from...wearables (???)
Continuing education
UPCOMING:
BehaviorLive is back to posting free events: 5/13, 5/15, 5/28
