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

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Para Training in a Pinch #4: Positive Classroom Interactions Sep 29, 2026

Show notes

Get the Month 1 Para Training Workbook: https://abainschool.com/month1
Before prompting, data collection, or behavior plans, there’s something even more foundational: the relationship you build with your students.
In Week 4 of Para Training in a Pinch, we’re talking about connection, pairing, reinforcement, and how strong relationships can make learning more effective. We’ll also look at how a little flexibility can help prevent unnecessary power struggles.
We’ll cover how to:
✔️ Build rapport through pairing
✔️ Find what actually reinforces each student
✔️ Use behavior-specific praise
✔️ Balance expectations with flexibility
✔️ Avoid unnecessary power struggles
You’ll also learn about “the frame”: decide what the real expectation is, then allow flexibility with the things inside that frame. Does the student really need that pencil, that chair, or that exact way of completing the task? Sometimes adults accidentally turn the picture into the frame.
This week’s challenge: Try two things. First, replace a generic “Good job!” with specific feedback such as, “I noticed how you kept trying.” Second, before correcting a student, ask yourself: Is this the frame or just the picture?
Students don’t have to earn a relationship from us. Relationships are how we earn the opportunity to teach them.
📚 Want the activities that go with Weeks 1–4?
The Month 1 Para Training Academy workbook includes weekly activities, scenarios, reflection, and practical application to go along with the trainings.
Get the Month 1 Para Training Workbook: https://abainschool.com/month1
• Para Training in a Pinch podcast series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep83
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group: https://abainschool.com/misfits
• ABA in School Resources: https://abainschool.com/tptstore
• Browse all podcast episodes: https://abainschool.com/podcast
💬 Join Us Next Time
Next episode, Week 5: Preventing Burnout.

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists
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Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

Audra | ABA in School
Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics

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Para Training in a Pinch #3: Classroom Systems & Routines Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

Get the Month 1 Para Training Workbook: https://abainschool.com/month1
Strong classroom routines aren’t about making everything rigid and predictable forever. They’re about creating enough structure and consistency that students feel secure, know what’s coming next, and can become more independent.
In Week 3 of Para Training in a Pinch, we’re talking about classroom systems, routines, and visual supports, plus the important role paraprofessionals play in keeping those systems consistent.
We’ll cover how to:
✔️ Follow classroom routines consistently
✔️ Balance predictability with flexibility
✔️ Use visual supports effectively
✔️ Individualize visuals for different learners
✔️ Fade supports to build independence
We’ll also talk about why visuals aren’t just for students with autism. We all use calendars, GPS, lists, reminders, and other visual supports to navigate our own lives. The question isn’t whether we can give students more supports. It’s which supports help this student do more independently?
This week’s challenge: Find one situation where a visual could replace some of your words. Try a visual schedule, first-then board, checklist, picture directions, transition card, or choice board. Use it consistently for a few days and watch what happens.
Did the student become more independent? Need fewer verbal reminders? Experience less confusion? Sometimes a little visual support lets us do a lot less talking. 🙃
📚 Want the activities that go with Weeks 1–4?
The Month 1 Para Training Academy workbook includes weekly activities, scenarios, reflection, and practical application to go along with the trainings.
Get the Month 1 Para Training Workbook: https://abainschool.com/month1
• Para Training in a Pinch podcast series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep83
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group: https://abainschool.com/misfits
• ABA in School Resources: https://abainschool.com/tptstore
• Browse all podcast episodes: https://abainschool.com/podcast
💬 Join Us Next Time
Next episode, Week 4: Positive Classroom Interactions.

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists
😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

Audra | ABA in School
Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Para Training in a Pinch #2: Understanding Our Students Sep 15, 2026

Show notes

Get the Month 1 Para Training Workbook: https://abainschool.com/month1
A disability label can give us useful information, but it doesn’t tell us who a student is.
In Week 2 of Para Training in a Pinch, we’re talking about understanding the individual students behind the labels. Every learner brings different strengths, interests, communication styles, experiences, and support needs to the classroom.
We’ll cover how to:
✔️ Presume competence
✔️ Look beyond disability labels
✔️ Recognize individual strengths and learning styles
✔️ Use respectful, student-centered language
✔️ Build trust and positive relationships
You’ll also hear a personal example of how an unexpected strength can become a powerful teaching tool, and why sometimes supporting a student means thinking outside the box instead of following the “typical” path.
This week’s challenge: Choose one student you support and learn something new about them that has nothing to do with their disability. What do they enjoy? What makes them smile? What are they really good at?
Great educators don’t just know students’ needs. They get to know the students.
📚 Want the activities that go with Weeks 1–4?
The Month 1 Para Training Academy workbook includes weekly activities, scenarios, reflection, and practical application to go along with the trainings.
Get the Month 1 Para Training Workbook: https://abainschool.com/month1
• Para Training in a Pinch podcast series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep83
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group: https://abainschool.com/misfits
• ABA in School Resources: https://abainschool.com/tptstore
• Browse all podcast episodes: https://abainschool.com/podcast
💬 Join Us Next Time
Next episode, Week 3: Classroom Systems & Routines.

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists
😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

Audra | ABA in School
Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Para Training in a Pinch #1: Welcome to Special Education Sep 08, 2026

Show notes

Get the Month 1 Para Training Workbook: https://abainschool.com/month1
Welcome to Para Training in a Pinch, a quick weekly training series for special education paraprofessionals!
In Week 1, we’re starting with the foundation: professionalism and understanding your role as a para.
Being a great paraprofessional isn’t about knowing everything on day one. It’s about being someone your students and team can count on. We’re talking about knowing your role, communicating with your team, being open to feedback, protecting student confidentiality, using technology appropriately, and asking questions when you’re unsure.
In this episode:
✔️ Know your role on the classroom team
✔️ Build professional habits
✔️ Communicate and accept feedback
✔️ Protect student privacy and confidentiality
✔️ Be curious, ask questions, and keep learning
And remember: you are never “just a para.” Well-trained, dependable paraprofessionals make a tremendous difference for students, teachers, and the entire classroom.
This week’s challenge: Remember your why. What brought you to this work, and what kind of teammate do you want to be?
📚 Want the activities that go with Weeks 1–4?
The Month 1 Para Training Academy workbook includes weekly activities, scenarios, reflection, and practical application to go along with the trainings.
Get the Month 1 Para Training Workbook: https://abainschool.com/month1
• Para Training in a Pinch podcast series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep83
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group: https://abainschool.com/misfits
• ABA in School Resources: https://abainschool.com/tptstore
• Browse all podcast episodes: https://abainschool.com/podcast
💬 Join Us Next Time
Next episode, Week 2: Understanding Our Students.

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists
😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

Audra | ABA in School
Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Why Students Behave Differently with Different Teachers (ABA without the Jargon) Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever heard someone say, "They never do that for me!" or "She behaves completely differently in my class."?
In this episode, Caitlin breaks down one of the most important (and misunderstood) concepts in Applied Behavior Analysis: stimulus control. Learn why students often behave differently with different teachers, classrooms, and situations, and why those differences are a clue to understanding behavior, not a competition between educators.
Whether you're a special education teacher, BCBA, paraprofessional, or general education teacher, this episode will help you look beyond the behavior and start asking better questions.
🎙️ Key Takeaways
✔️ What stimulus control means in everyday classroom language
✔️ Why students naturally behave differently with different people and settings
✔️ How teachers, routines, and classroom expectations become cues for behavior
✔️ What a discriminative stimulus (SD) is and how it influences behavior
✔️ Why substitute teachers often see different behaviors than classroom staff
✔️ Why behavior differences don't mean one teacher is "better" than another
✔️ Better questions to ask instead of, "Why don't they do that for me?"
📚 Resources
• ABA Without the Jargon podcast series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep77
• Also check out the FBA mini-series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep31buzz
• Get the FREE visuals for this episode: https://abainschool.com/g3qk
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group → https://abainschool.com/misfits
• Find Caitlin here! → https://beltransbehaviorbasics.com/
• ABA in School Resources → https://abainschool.com/tptstore
• Browse all podcast episodes: https://abainschool.com/podcast
💬 Join Us Next Time
Next episode, Caitlin will go over Preference Assessments.

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists
😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

Audra | ABA in School
Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

FBA vs. BIP Explained: What's the Difference? (ABA terms explained) Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

What exactly is the difference between an FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment) and a BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan)?
These two terms are often used together, but they serve very different purposes. In this episode of ABA Without the Jargon, we explain how an FBA helps identify why a behavior is happening and how a BIP outlines what to do about it.
Using a simple car repair analogy and real classroom examples, you'll learn why understanding the function of behavior is the key to creating effective behavior support.
🎯 Key Takeaways
✔️ An FBA (Functional Behavior Assessment) helps identify why a behavior is occurring.
✔️ A BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) outlines how the team will respond and support behavior change.
✔️ Jumping to interventions before understanding the function of behavior often leads to ineffective plans.
✔️ Looking for patterns in antecedents, consequences, and the environment helps identify the function of behavior.
✔️ Effective behavior plans are based on data, not guesswork.
✔️ Matching interventions to the function of behavior increases the likelihood of long-term success.
📚 Resources Mentioned
• ABA Without the Jargon podcast series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep77
• Also check out the FBA mini-series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep31buzz
• Get the FREE visuals for this episode: https://abainschool.com/9214
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group → https://abainschool.com/misfits
• ABA in School Resources → https://abainschool.com/tptstore
• Browse all podcast episodes: https://abainschool.com/podcast
💬 Join Us Next Time
Next episode, Caitlin will go over the difference between an FBA and a BIP.

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists
😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

Audra | ABA in School
Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Motivating Operations Explained (EO vs. AO Made Simple) Aug 04, 2026

Show notes

Have you ever had a student suddenly stop working for a favorite reward? Or wondered why a reinforcer works one day but not the next?
The answer may not be the reinforcer at all. It could be a motivating operation (MO).
In this episode of ABA Without the Jargon, we explain motivating operations using everyday examples like cookies after Thanksgiving dinner, Skittles at your desk, and why water tastes so much better after a hot day outside.
By the end of the episode, you'll understand why motivation changes, how it affects behavior, and an easy trick to remember the difference between establishing operations (EOs) and abolishing operations (AOs).
🎯 Key Takeaways
✔️ A motivating operation (MO) changes how valuable a reinforcer is at that moment.
✔️ An establishing operation (EO) makes a reinforcer more valuable.
✔️ An abolishing operation (AO) makes a reinforcer less valuable.
✔️ Reinforcers don't always stop working. Sometimes motivation changes instead.
✔️ Hunger, thirst, fatigue, attention, and other everyday experiences all influence motivation.
✔️ Looking at the student's current needs can help explain why behavior changes from day to day.
✔️ A simple "Empty vs. Overflowing" memory trick can help you remember EO vs. AO.
📚 Resources Mentioned
• ABA Without the Jargon podcast series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep77
• Get the FREE visuals for this episode: https://abainschool.com/v8og
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group → https://abainschool.com/misfits
• ABA in School Resources → https://abainschool.com/tptstore
• Browse all podcast episodes: https://abainschool.com/podcast
💬 Join Us Next Time
Next episode, Caitlin will go over the difference between an FBA and a BIP.

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists
😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

Audra | ABA in School
Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement and Punishment Explained (ABA Without the Jargon) Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

Positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement. Positive punishment. Negative punishment.
These four ABA terms are some of the most misunderstood concepts in behavior analysis, but they're much simpler than they sound.
In this episode of ABA Without the Jargon, we're breaking down each term using everyday language, real classroom examples, and a few personal stories (including Skittles, chickens, and Bruno the dog 🐶).
By the end of the episode, you'll have an easy way to remember the differences and confidently explain them to someone else.
🎯 Key Takeaways
✔️ Positive means something is added, not "good."
✔️ Negative means something is removed, not "bad."
✔️ Reinforcement means a behavior increases over time.
✔️ Punishment means a behavior decreases over time.
✔️ Whether something is reinforcement or punishment depends on what happens to the behavior over time, not whether something feels rewarding or unpleasant.
✔️ The same consequence can work differently for different people, so effective reinforcement is always individualized.
✔️ A simple four-step strategy can help you identify whether you're looking at positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, positive punishment, or negative punishment.
📚 Resources Mentioned
• ABA Without the Jargon podcast series: Start here! https://abainschool.com/ep77
• Get the FREE visuals for this episode: https://abainschool.com/2mj1
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group → https://abainschool.com/misfits
• ABA in School Resources → https://abainschool.com/tptstore
• ABA in School TPT Store: https://abainschool.com/tpt
• Browse all podcast episodes: https://abainschool.com/podcast
💬 Join Us Next Time
Next episode, we're tackling another commonly misunderstood ABA concept: Motivating Operations
We'll explore why your favorite reinforcer sometimes works like magic... and other times seems completely worthless. Understanding motivating operations can make reinforcement far more effective and help explain why behavior changes from one situation to the next.

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists
😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

Audra | ABA in School
Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

ABCs of Behavior Explained: Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence in Plain English Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

Welcome back to ABA Without the Jargon, the mini-series where we take common ABA and special education terms and translate them into everyday language.
In this episode, we're breaking down one of the most important concepts in behavior analysis: the ABCs of Behavior.
We'll explain:
✔️ What an antecedent really is
✔️ What counts as behavior (and what doesn't)
✔️ Why consequences are more than punishments
✔️ How the ABCs help us understand patterns in behavior
✔️ Why understanding behavior leads to better support
Whether you're a teacher, paraeducator, RBT, BCBA, parent, or caregiver, this episode will help you make sense of behavior without the jargon.
🔑 Key Takeaways
• Antecedents are what happen before a behavior and often signal patterns
• Behavior includes anything a person does, not just challenging behaviors
• Consequences are what happen after a behavior and influence future behavior
• The ABCs help explain why behaviors continue over time
• Prevention strategies often focus on changing antecedents
• Behavior serves a purpose and communicates information
• Looking for patterns is more helpful than looking for blame
• Understanding behavior helps us teach skills instead of simply reacting
📌 Resources Mentioned
• Free Visuals & Resources → https://abainschool.com/4xy3
• Previous episodes:
Antecedent (Episode 51 Antecedent Strategies --> https://abainschool.com/ep51)
Behavior (Episode 35 Collecting ABC data --> https://abainschool.com/ep35)
Consequence (Episode 55 Teaching Replacement Behaviors
and Episode 29 Functions of Behaviors --> https://abainschool.com/ep55 and https://abainschool.com/ep29)
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group → https://abainschool.com/misfits
• ABA in School Resources → https://abainschool.com/tptstore
• Blog: What Is ABA in Simple Terms → https://abainschool.com/intro-to-aba
🎙️ Coming Next
Reinforcement: What goes up, must come.... not, it doesn't have to come down!
⭐ Join Us
• Subscribe for practical ABA and special education strategies without the jargon
• Share this episode with a teacher, parent, or colleague
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists community for resources, discussions, and support
#misfitbehaviorists #ABA #BehaviorAnalysis #ABCsOfBehavior #SpecialEducation #AutismSupport #BCBA #RBT #Teachers #BehaviorSupport

Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists
😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!

Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists
YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists

👋 Find us!

Audra | ABA in School
Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics

🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

What Is ABA? Applied Behavior Analysis Explained in Plain English Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to the first episode of ABA Without the Jargon, a new mini-series from The Misfit Behaviorists where we take common ABA and special education terms and translate them into everyday language.
In this episode, we're tackling the biggest term of all: ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis).
We'll break down:
✔️ What "Applied" really means
✔️ What counts as behavior
✔️ Why analysis is simply figuring out what's working and why
✔️ Common misconceptions about ABA
✔️ How teachers, therapists, and parents already use ABA strategies every day
Whether you're a special education teacher, paraeducator, RBT, BCBA, parent, or just curious about behavior support, this episode provides a practical, no-jargon explanation of what good ABA should look like in today's classrooms and homes.
🎁 Free Visuals & Resources
Download the companion visuals discussed in this episode → https://abainschool.com/3928
Blog post "What is ABA in Simple Terms" → https://abainschool.com/intro-to-aba
📌 Resources Mentioned
• Join The Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group → https://abainschool.com/misfits
• ABA in School Resources: → https://abainschool.com/tptstore
🎙️ Coming Next
ABCs of Behavior: Antecedent, Behavior, and Consequence Explained in Plain English
#misfitbehaviorists #ABA #AppliedBehaviorAnalysis #Autism #SpecialEducation #BehaviorAnalysis #BCBA #RBT #Teachers #AutismSupport #BehaviorSupport #ABAWithoutTheJargon