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.

Dr. Shane Spiker joins the Cooperant team to discuss crisis intervention in adult behavior analytic services.

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

Serving across the state of Michigan, Sparks uses behavioral science to improve the lives of the people we work with, regardless of the nature or severity of their needs.

Further reading: On the Uncanny Similarities Between Police Brutality and Client Mistreatment (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9744982/)

Liz Elias of Empowered Behavior Collective (https://www.empoweredbehaviorcollective.com) joined us to discuss supervision, supervised fieldwork hours, mentorship, and other topics in behavior analysis and adult services.

Liz is an independent BCBA who resides and practices in West Michigan. Through her company, Empowered Behavior Collective, Liz provides fieldwork supervision for aspiring behavior analysts and ACT-based services to clients across the lifespan. Liz is the sitting President of the Board of Directors for the ARC of Mid-Michigan and also contracts with her local county to provide support for adults in residential group home settings.

Cooperant Learning is a project of Sparks Behavioral Services (sparksbehavioralservices.com). At SBS, we use behavioral science to improve the lives of those we work with, regardless of the nature or severity of their needs.

Links:

Empowered Behavior Collective: https://www.empoweredbehaviorcollective.com

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

Behavioral Artistry: Examining the Relationship Between the Interpersonal Skills and Effective Practice Repertoires of Applied Behavior Analysis Practitioners: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC670796

Tyra Sellers*, Emily Patrizi, and Sarah Lichtenberger, authors of the book Daily Ethics: Creating Intentional Practice for Behavior Analysts, join us for episode 3 of our series on behavior analysis, ethics, and recipient rights in adult services.

Links:

Purchase the book: https://abatechnologies.com/products/books/daily-ethics (APBA members can access a code for a 10% discount in the members only discount books section of the website)

Articles:

Guidance or compliance: What makes an ethical behavior analyst? (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6745580/)

The history of the behavior analyst certification board’s ethics codes (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40617-023-00803-2)

Books:

Crucial Conversations (https://a.co/d/cZGXini)

Radical Candor (https://a.co/d/0nisUSE)

Super Communicators (https://a.co/d/ibNoMky)

Nonviolent Communication

Cooperant Learning is a project of Sparks Behavioral Services. Learn more at sparksbehavioralservices.com.

*Disclaimer: The Association of Professional Behavior Analysts (APBA) has not reviewed or approved the content of this presentation. The APBA does not endorse or sponsor and is not otherwise affiliated with this presentation.

Behavior analyst and certified sexuality counselor Nicholas Maio-Aether joins the Cooperant Learning podcast episode number 2 to discuss the topic of sexual autonomy, behavior analysis and working with adult populations. In this episode Nicholas leads us in discussing everything from the history of sexuality and ABA (the good, the bad and the ugly), teaching consent and education and advocacy/recipient rights.

Sparks Behavioral Services: sparksbehavioralservices.com

Cooperant Learning: cooperantlearning.com

Links and further reading:

Strang et al. "They Thought It Was an Obsession": Trajectories and Perspectives of Autistic Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adolescents. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30140984/

George R, Stokes MA. Gender identity and sexual orientation in autism spectrum disorder. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28914080/

Empowered: A Center for Sexuality, LLC: https://www.empoweredcenter.com

On our inaugural episode, we discuss assent and assent-based interventions in behavior analysis as it pertains to treating aberrant behavior in adult populations. We were happy to invite our subject matter expert, Dr. Cody Morris, to explore and discuss this topic.

Some research by Dr. Morris: Morris, C., Oliveira, J. P., Perrin, J., Federico, C. A., & Martasian, P. J. (2024). Toward a further understanding of assent. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 57(2), 304–318.

Morris, C., Detrick, J.J. and Peterson, S.M. (2021), Participant assent in behavior analytic research: Considerations for participants with autism and developmental disabilities. Jnl of Applied Behav Analysis, 54: 1300-1316.

Morris, C., Zarcaro, E.A., Perrin, J. and Ellsworth, M.E. (2024), Discrepancies between treatment preference and effectiveness. Behavioral Interventions, 39: e2057.

For more information about Sparks Behavioral Services, check out http://www.sparksbehavioralservices.com/