Tameika Meadows

No therapy is better than bad therapy. Today, BCBA Tameika Meadows, author, and creator of the blog I Love ABA joins me to share her important factors in finding a good ABA provider. We break down the differences between good ABA and bad ABA, highlight some big red flags, and dig into parent resources.

Though many of us have probably spent much of our careers fretting over how we can help autistic children stop engaging in stereotypic or seemingly ritualistic behavior, have we spent enough time asking whether attending to these unique interests might actually be beneficial? This week we’re joined by Tameika Meadows from I Love ABA to flip the script on that old chestnut and see what research tells us about all of the benefits to appreciating a person’s preferences, no matter how different they may be. This episode is available for 1.0 LEARNING CEU. Articles discussed this episode: Baker, M.J. (2000). Incorporating the thematic ritualistic behaviors of children with autism into games: Increasing social play interactions with siblings. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2, 66-84. doi: 10.1177/109830070000200201 Vismara, L.A. & Lyons, G.L. (2007). Using perseverative interests to elicit joint attention behaviors in young children with autism: Theoretical and clinical implications for understanding motivation. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 9, 214-228. doi: 10.1177/10983007070090040401 Boyd, B.A., Conroy, M.A., Mancil, G.R., Nakao, T., & Alter, P.J. (2007). Effects of circumscribed interests on the social behaviors of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1550-1561. doi: 10.1007/s10803-006-0286-8 Davey, L. (2020). Using the special interests of autistic children to facilitate meaningful engagement and learning. Good Autism Practice, 21, 43-64. Bannerman, D.J., Sheldon, J.B., Sherman, J.A., & Harchik, A.E. (1990). Balancing the right to habilitiation with the right to personal liberties: The rights of people with developmental disabilities to eat too many doughnuts and take a nap. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 23, 79-89. doi: 10.1901/jaba.1990.23-79 If you're interested in ordering CEs for listening to this episode, click here to go to the store page. You'll need to enter your name, BCBA #, and the two episode secret code words to complete the purchase. Email us at abainsidetrack@gmail.com for further assistance.

There are plenty of misconceptions and myths about Applied Behavior Analysis. In this episode, Tameika Meadows, BCBA and I are on a mission to debunk the myths. We discuss some situations where something may be identified as ABA but in reality it is not aligned with the best practices and principles of our field. Tameika and I discuss the misconceptions that ABA teaches robotic skills, doesn’t take into account client preferences, and is working to erase autism. Tameika pulls from her valuable experience in the field as we highlight the BACB’s ethical guidelines that emphasize how Applied Behavior Analysis works to teach socially significant behavior that benefits the learner’s quality of life. We cover a lot of ground in this episode! We dive into how to select an ABA company, what red flags you be aware of for poor “ABA” services, and tips for collaborating with BCBAs. Tameika is the creator of the blog & resource website www.ILoveABA.com, which is accessed daily by thousands of people all over the world. Through her website Ms. Meadows provides simple and practical information, strategies, tips, and proudly disseminates the science of Applied Behavior Analysis. Tameika is also the author of multiple introductory level Applied Behavior Analysis books, such as: “101 Ways to do ABA”, a resource guide for parents and therapists; “From A to Z: Teaching Skills to Children with Autism”, a resource guide for educators; and “A Manual: Creating an Autism Intervention Program”, a resource guide for practice owners. Ms. Meadows has also published multiple ABA e-Books, exclusively available on Kindle. Click here to find out more info about The Autism Helper Professional Development Membership: https://theautismhelper.com/membership/ Want more information about The Autism Helper Courses? Visit: https://theautismhelper.com/courses/ Looking for a specific product or resource? Find it in our new Autism Helper store! https://shop.theautismhelper.com/ Or visit The Autism Helper store on TpT: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/The-Autism-Helper Get all updates from The Autism Helper Podcast by clicking subscribe above. Head over to theautismhelper.com for more info. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest @theautismhelper.