Ley’s Going to Tell You What He Thinks
Ley spends a lot of time thinking about behavior. And what he has to say will probably make you uncomfortable. But he’s tired of seeing people not get the help they need because behavior is misunderstood. Now, he’s decided to start telling everyone what’s on his mind right here on this blog.
“It’s alive, it’s ALIVE!”: Sparking the Power of Human Connection
I do not remember the first time I met Nick. If I had to guess, it was in Charleston, SC, but there is no doubt it...
A Love Letter to People with Disabilities
To Whom I am Indebted, I’ve always known we would be together. Our story is not one of “love at first sight”, but...
Behavior is a Language, Here is How to Learn it
The truth is, everything I know about behavior I learned in one night, working in a 4-Diamond restaurant in...
Thoughts & Writing
That Crazy Lady Told Me to Pee in the Pool
My nephew stood on the edge of the pool, dripping wet, with his teeth chattering, and twig-like arms folded into his bird chest. His eyes danced between my mom and dad in a state of total shock and confusion. “You’re soaking wet, don’t go inside,” my mom...
Unlocking Behaviors: Smearing Feces
Matt is a 36-year-old man with autism who lives with three other men of similar age and functioning level. He is a proficient verbal communicator both expressively and receptively. Matt enjoys social interactions with peers, staff, and family, and frequently...
“It’s alive, it’s ALIVE!”: Sparking the Power of Human Connection
I do not remember the first time I met Nick. If I had to guess, it was in Charleston, SC, but there is no doubt it involved a beer and laughing. Although I don’t remember that moment, I can say with absolute certainty when it was that I came to know who and what Nick...
A Behavior Analyst with a Mold Allergy
“You can’t do that! People with dementia can’t learn!” he said with an arrogant assertion and a tinge of ridicule. I nodded back to my graduate academic advisor, while my inner monologue quipped back, “Well, buckle up! We are in for quite the...
Behavior in Translation: “I’m Ready to Go Home.”
This case study discusses themes of self-harm and suicidal ideations. Debra is a 63-year-old woman with a mild intellectual disability who is an effective communicator. She lives with three other women of similar functioning ability and attends a day program where...
A Love Letter to People with Disabilities
To Whom I am Indebted, I’ve always known we would be together. Our story is not one of “love at first sight”, but rather a love story rooted in destiny. You see, I was born to love you. My parents met you in the 1970s, when you first began winning fights for your...
Too Much Milk and Too Many Anti-psychotics
George is a 49-year-old man with a moderate intellectual disability who communicates with short phrases, comprehends simple verbal communication, and is quite observant of his environment. When he moved to his new home approximately 12 months ago, he had a...
The ABCs of Dementia Behavior
So often, we, as a group of family members, professionals, and caregivers, find ourselves lost when discussing the management of behavioral needs for people with intellectual disabilities (ID) and dementia. We are lost in the abyss of social media “expertise,”...
Behavior is a Language, Here is How to Learn it
The truth is, everything I know about behavior I learned in one night, working in a 4-Diamond restaurant in Charleston, SC. I was in my early 20s, covering a shift in a short staffed kitchen alongside one of my closest friends, Ryan. Memories are fuzzy and the...
“Oh, My Heavens! It’s in their mouth!”
Introducing the World’s Crappiest Behavior Analyst In the movie Forrest Gump, Bubba Blue was Forrest’s best friend and the enterprising shrimp aficionado who helped create a multi-million-dollar shrimp boat business. Remember how much Bubba knew about...
Guns, Valproic Acid, and H.pylori. And It’s Just Tuesday!
If I had to be a “traditional” behavior analyst (BA), I would be a terrible one. The repetitive nature of discrete trial training would have me reading the Geneva Conventions and conferring with geopolitical legal experts during the lunch break on my...
