Matt Harrington - masteringaba.com

A systematic replication investigating the efficiency and effectiveness of restricted‐ and free‐operant programming

Using concealed public accompaniments to teach individuals to tact intensity

This post is for clinicians, behavior analysts, and ABA teams who help individuals communicate about private sensations—like pain or discomfort—using intensity ratings. It shows how to turn ABA data into clear, ethically grounded decisions by teaching consistent labeling on a 0–10 scale when the assessor cannot see the sensation, with practical steps like anchoring a reference point and limiting visual cues. It also covers generalization, autonomy, and safety so you can apply these skills in real-world care without compromising dignity or consent.

Using concealed public accompaniments to teach individuals to tact intensity Read More »

How to Know If Leadership & Management Is Actually Working

Business

This post is for ABA clinic owners, clinical directors, and BCBAs stepping into leadership roles who want to know whether leadership and management are actually working. It translates complex concepts into observable indicators and a simple scorecard, so you can track real-world patterns rather than rely on a single metric. With an ethics-first focus on dignity, safety, and sustainability, it shows how to turn ABA data into clear, ethical decisions that support consistent, high-quality care.

How to Know If Leadership & Management Is Actually Working Read More »

When to Rethink Your Approach to Skill Acquisition

Clinical Practice

For BCBAs, RBTs, supervisors, and clinic leaders guiding ABA skill acquisition. When progress stalls, this post helps you pause ethically and re-evaluate instead of pushing harder. It offers a dignity-first seven-step quick audit to turn ABA data into clear, ethical decisions—covering baseline, definitions, practice design, prompts, reinforcement, and decision rules.

When to Rethink Your Approach to Skill Acquisition Read More »

When to Rethink Your Approach to Financial Health & KPIs

Business

This guide is for ABA clinic owners, clinical directors, and BCBAs in leadership roles who want to know when their KPI dashboard stops serving stable, ethical care. It offers a practical framework for lean KPI sets (1–3 per category across profitability, liquidity, cash flow, efficiency, risk, and planning), clear definitions, ownership, and a simple monthly cadence to turn data into decisions. The piece emphasizes an ethics-first approach—metrics should protect care quality and staff wellbeing, with explicit triggers to rethink and reset when needed.

When to Rethink Your Approach to Financial Health & KPIs Read More »

Context and Meaning in Acts of Translation and Interpretation

Development and validation of a caretaker-implemented ear cleaning teaching protocol for companion dogs

Research Article Summaries

This post translates the ABA data from a caretaker-implemented ear-cleaning protocol into practical guidance for clinicians, trainers, and dog caregivers. It explains how to implement cooperative care (start/stop signals, stepwise exposure) and use objective outcomes to guide progress without coercion. The focus is on ethical, data-informed decision making—identifying suitable candidates, applying clear criteria, and recognizing limitations or when veterinary input is needed.

Development and validation of a caretaker-implemented ear cleaning teaching protocol for companion dogs Read More »

An evaluation of task clarification and feedback to teach feedback reception skills

Research Article Summaries

For ABA supervisors and staff, this post explains a practical approach to turning ABA data into clearer, ethical coaching decisions by improving how feedback is received. It summarizes recent research showing that a short task-clarification checklist of six feedback-reception skills, used before coaching conversations, can boost engagement with feedback and that optional follow-up on how feedback was received can help some learners. The guidance is concrete, respectful, and low-effort, with notes on generalizability and when booster reminders may be helpful.

An evaluation of task clarification and feedback to teach feedback reception skills Read More »

Beyond social validity: Embracing qualitative research in behavior analysis

Research Article Summaries

This post explains how qualitative methods can supplement ABA when key events happen out of sight—like youth running away or trafficking risk. It offers practical steps (interviews, focus groups, and structured data) to form functional hypotheses and realistic intervention guides that fit real-world settings. Aimed at ABA clinicians, foster-care teams, and group-home staff, it shows how qualitative input leads to clear, ethical decisions that improve safety and dignity. It also notes the limits of qualitative data and advises integrating it with objective data to refine hypotheses.

Beyond social validity: Embracing qualitative research in behavior analysis Read More »

When to Rethink Your Approach to Workload & Scheduling Optimization

Hiring and Retention

This article is written for ABA clinic owners, clinical directors, BCBAs, and operations leaders seeking a sustainable approach to workload and scheduling. It identifies 10 warning signs that your current system isn’t working and offers 10 practical, ethical fixes you can pilot in 30 days. By turning ABA data—caseload, notes time, coverage—into clear, ethical decisions, it helps protect continuity of care, staff dignity, and sustainable operations, with a printable checklist to support implementation.

When to Rethink Your Approach to Workload & Scheduling Optimization Read More »

When to Rethink Your Approach to Interdisciplinary Practice

Clinical Practice

This post is for BCBAs, clinical supervisors, clinic owners, and teams coordinating ABA across clinics, schools, and medical settings. It helps you turn ABA data into clear, ethical, learner- and family-centered decisions by focusing on dignity, assent, shared goals, role clarity, and routine communication. Practical templates and a 7-day reset plan guide you to spot drift, repair breakdowns, and implement tangible improvements that respect learner dignity.

When to Rethink Your Approach to Interdisciplinary Practice Read More »

What Most People Get Wrong About Workload & Scheduling Optimization

Hiring and Retention

This post is for ABA clinic owners, clinical directors, and BCBAs who manage schedules. It outlines the ten most common workload and scheduling mistakes that quietly drive burnout and turnover, with ethics-before-efficiency as a guiding principle. You’ll find practical fixes you can test this week, including mapping billable and non-billable time, travel, and documentation into a realistic schedule. By turning ABA data into clear, ethical decisions, you can build sustainable, fair schedules that protect staff well-being and client care.

What Most People Get Wrong About Workload & Scheduling Optimization Read More »