Ep41 Rural Planets: The Impact of Geographical Differences and Evaluating Quality of Life with Matt Cicoria

Atypical Behavior Analyst

There’s a common adage: “You can’t understand another person until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes.” Sometimes those shoes take you into lesser charted territories. In a previous episode we discussed applications of behavior analysis in rural communities, but not all rural communities are the same, and we would be remiss to assume so! In this LIVE talk we meet with Matt Cicoria, owner of Positive Behavioral Outcomes LLC, co-author of Remote Fieldwork Supervision for BCBA Trainees, AND host of Behavioral Observations. His work with rural schools in the Northeastern United States will provide an interesting shift in perspective from our previous rural discussion in the Southwest. He will discuss the concept of quality of life through a behavior analytic lens specifically when working in this geographical location. He’ll also provide ideas and recommendations for rapport building and having unbiased discussions about quality of life with those from unfamiliar backgrounds and those with differing sets of values.

Learning Objectives:

1. Determine “friction points/pain points” when working with schools, families, and communities and how best to work through those issues.

2. Understand the importance of reviewing quality of life through an objective lens, overlapping contingencies, and incorporating others’ values into practice.

Take Aways- your bite-sized educational noms

• When working within multiple systems, it’s beneficial to spend time building rapport, listening and hearing, observing the values, motivations, and contingencies of all members of a team. Look for quick wins that help teach contingency management and provide reinforcement for those implementing recommendations.

• Some common friction points that may get overlooked: sleep, routine, meals

• Professionals should not expect resources will be readily available. There are multiple competing contingencies, and it is important to identify where behavior analysis can fit in and be effective.

• Everyone comes from a unique background, their own individual tapestry of their lives which leads to distinct preferences, cultural understanding, motivations, and so on. When working with individuals outside of one’s own comfort zone, it is important to set aside biases and preconceived notions and allow oneself to hear the individual and meet them where they are.

• Behavior is rational and it is imperative for success to build on the current strengths and motivations.

Worth 1.5 Learning CEUs

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