Cooperant Learning Podcast Episode: The Kalamazoo Academy for Behavioral and Academic Success

Hosts: Kyle Steury & Dr. Steve Sparks

In this episode, we sat down with Dr. Margo Uwayo of the Kalamazoo Academy for Behavioral and Academic Success (KABAS) — a K–6 school that blends behavior analysis with education to support both behavior intervention and academic skill acquisition. We dive into the origin story of KABAS, how applied behavior analysis can be a tool for both learning and behavior, the legal hurdles to launching a school rooted in science, and how educators and behavior analysts can work together.

Check out the Sold a Story series Margo references at https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/.

Learn more about and consider donating to KABAS at https://kalamazooschool.org

Cooperant Learning is a project of Sparks Behavioral Services. For more information, visit https://sparksbehavioralservices.com.

In this episode of the Cooperant Learning Podcast, Sarah Campau and Abigail Petronelli join to discuss their 2022 call to action article on LGBTQ+ conversion therapy and behavior analysis. The conversation explores the history of harmful practices in ABA, the removal of DEI requirements by the BACB, and actionable steps practitioners can take to support LGBTQ+ individuals and promote ethical, inclusive care.

Further Reading: DeFelice, K.A., Diller, J.W. Intersectional Feminism and Behavior Analysis. Behav Analysis Practice 12, 831–838 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-019-00...

Capriotti, M.R. and Donaldson, J.M. (2022), “Why don't behavior analysts do something?”1 Behavior analysts' historical, present, and potential future actions on sexual and gender minority issues. Jnl of Applied Behav Analysis, 55: 19-39. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.884

Conine, Daniel & Campau, Sarah & Petronelli, Abigail. (2021). LGBTQ + conversion therapy and applied behavior analysis: A call to action. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. 55. 10.1002/jaba.876.

Oda, F.S., Stiehl, C.M. Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI): A Tutorial on Ethical Data Practices. Behav Analysis Practice 18, 275–290 (2025).

Leland, W., & Stockwell, A. (2019). A self-assessment tool for cultivating affirming practices with transgender and gender-nonconforming (TGNC) clients, supervisees, students, and colleagues. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 12(4), 816–825. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-019-00...

Petronelli, Abigail & Ferguson, Rachael. (2022). Into Inclusion: Increasing Trans-Inclusive Practices with Behavior Analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice. 15. 10.1007/s40617-021-00669-2.

Farrell, Lynn & Mizael, Táhcita & Gould, Evelyn. (2023). Gender Is the Name of the Frame: Understanding Gender through the Lens of Relational Frame Theory. Social Sciences. 12. 532. 10.3390/socsci12100532.

Note: Due to recording issues, this episode uses the Google Meet video file, so it may lack the usual “room” feel.

Cooperant Learning is a project of Sparks Behavioral Services. For more information please visit https://www.sparksbehavioralservices.com.

#behaviorscience #behavioranalysis #bcba #bacb #rbt #bcaba #lgbtq #podcast #appliedbehavioranalysis #DEI #ABA

📊 Using Big Data to Inform ABA Hour Recommendations | Dr. David Cox on Cooperant Podcast Description: How can big data improve clinical decision-making in behavior analysis? In this episode of the Cooperant Podcast, host Kyle Steury welcomes Dr. David Cox—PhD behavior analyst, researcher at Endicott College, and expert in AI and clinical modeling—to discuss data-driven approaches to recommending ABA service hours.

🎙 What You’ll Learn in This Episode: Why current hour recommendations in ABA may be more guesswork than science How Dr. Cox’s team analyzed data from nearly 40,000 cases The role of dose-response curves and cluster analysis in identifying optimal therapy levels How data indicate that more isn’t always better when it comes to ABA hours Implications for adult services, funding decisions, and the ethics of using AI in clinical care How real-time data could one day guide session-level decisions for RBTs and BCBAs

🔍 Key Concepts: Behavior analysis | Artificial intelligence | ABA therapy | Data science | Clinical modeling | Ethical decision-making | Big data | Cluster analysis | Autism services | Service authorization | Individualized care

🧠 Guest Bio – Dr. David Cox: Dr. Cox holds a PhD in behavior analysis, completed postdoctoral work at Johns Hopkins and Insight Data Science, and currently researches big data and AI applications in clinical decision-making and behavior analytic practice at Endicott College. His work explores how advanced data models can support ethical, individualized, and efficient behavioral healthcare.

💡 Interested in how behavioral science and machine learning can work together to improve client outcomes? This episode is for you.

Cooperant Learning is a project of Sparks Behavioral Services. Learn more about Sparks at https://www.sparksbehavioralservices.com.