The Misfit Behaviorists - Practical Strategies for Special Education and ABA Professionals

This week’s Misfit Minute is all about a tiny tool with a big payoff—sticky notes! 📝 Audra shares a quick and easy praise strategy you can implement immediately to boost positive behavior, make stude…

Preschool circle time doesn’t have to be chaos! 🎶 In this episode, we share simple strategies to keep little learners engaged, structured, and having fun—while meeting every student where they are. 🌟

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Reinforcement isn’t a trick, a loophole, or a bribe—it’s an evidence-based strategy that builds real behavior change. In this quick Misfit Minute, Caitlin shares a practical way to explain the differ…

Are you drowning in data but still missing progress? In this episode, we’re talking about the five most common data collection mistakes we’ve seen (and made!)—and how to fix them. Whether you're a BC…

This week, we’re keeping it super simple—and super effective. Audra shares two of her favorite low-prep activities that boost engagement, joint attention, and early conversation skills using nothing …

Running social skills groups can be tricky—especially when you’re balancing different student needs, group sizes, and settings. In this episode, we unpack how to structure and differentiate social sk…

In this quick episode, Caitlin shares how to redirect student behavior without power struggles, using subtle, positive phrasing that preserves dignity and prevents escalation. Learn how to guide stud…

🎙 Join Caitlin and guest Michelle Morris, an experienced self-contained classroom teacher, as they unpack real talk for new special ed teachers. From unexpected chaos to building strong staff dynamic…

In this short and practical episode, we explore the power of pre-correcting behavior—a quick strategy to set students up for success before a problem even starts. You’ll learn how to spot patterns, c…

This episode started as a quick Misfit Minute—but it turned into a deep dive, so we made it a full one. Inspired by that iconic Big Bang Theory clip with Sheldon and the chocolates, we break down a q…

In this bite-sized episode, we dive into a powerful mindset shift: don’t just teach the rule—teach the replacement behavior. Saying “don’t do that” isn’t enough. Real behavior change happens when we …

Part 13 (the last step) of the FBA Mini-Series!

You’ve got the plan… now let’s make sure it actually works. In this final episode of our FBA Mini-Series, Audra and Sami walk you through how to track b…

💡 Key Takeaways:
🖊️ Use a dual-sided clipboard with a whiteboard front and chalkboard back for both data and student visuals
🎯 Turn the chalkboard side into a Velcro token board or quick-reinforcer tra…

🤝 Join Caitlin and Audra as they dive into the crucial topic of fostering strong working relationships between school-based BCBAs and teachers! Learn from their real-world experiences – both successe…

🎙️ Misfit Minute #4: POWER Up Your Praise – Praising What You Want Repeated

Tired of generic praise that doesn't seem to stick? Caitlin highlights the power of behavior-specific praise – telling stude…

Planning a Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) for high-intensity behaviors? This episode walks you through the 7 stages of the Crisis Cycle—and how to use it as a practical tool in your FBAs and behavi…

Sick of saying “no” and getting big reactions? Audra shares an easy-to-remember acronym—R.E.D.O.—to help reframe your redirections and get more buy-in from students without the meltdown.

💡 Teach them …

Planning an IEP can feel like a whirlwind—deadlines, data, collaboration, and student needs all rolled into one big meeting. In this episode, Caitlin and Audra walk through a practical timeline for I…

🎙️ Misfit Minute #2: W.A.I.T. – Why Am I Talking?

Sometimes, the most powerful support you can offer during a student’s escalation… is silence. Caitlin introduces the W.A.I.T. strategy ("Why Am I Talk…

Continuing on in our FBA-BIP mini-series, we're at Step 11. This week, we’re diving into the consequence side of behavior plans—what to do after students engage in either the challenging behavior or …