Dower and Associates, Inc.

26/08/2025

Here's an everyday example:

A child sees bubbles and says “bubbles!” That’s a tact. The adult says, “Yes, bubbles!” reinforcing the language.

Skinner would explain this as a classic example of a total verbal episode, where the child's utterance ("bubbles!") comes under the stimulus control of the bubbles themselves. The adult's social response acts as a generalized conditioned reinforcer, which strengthens the child's tacting behavior.

This simple interaction is a powerful teaching moment that both SLPs and BCBAs can use to build language skills and foster social connection in the natural environment.

Labels make moments shareable.

26/08/2025

🎉

Not everyone is involved in choosing instructional tools, but all educators can provide valuable input into the selection process. Use this checklist to advocate for curriculum and intervention that will make the job of teaching language comprehension easier and more effective!

Areas where curriculum falls short become the burden for the teacher to deliver!
Click here to learn more https://languagedynamicsgroup.com/resources/

25/08/2025

Love hearing Dr. Trina Spencer speak!

🌟 We are delighted to announce Invited Speaker Dr. Trina Spencer, PhD, BCBA-D will be presenting at the 2nd Annual Speech Pathology Applied Behavior Analysis Conference on October 24, 2025!

🎤 Topic: Stories are Special: Maximizing Language Progress Through Real-World Applications of Learning Sciences

📖 Why stories? They’re not just narratives—they’re powerful tools for assessment, instruction, and collaboration. Dr. Spencer will highlight how stories reflect expressive language, comprehension, and social communication, offering evidence-based strategies for SLPs and BCBAs to work together toward meaningful progress through practical application.

👩‍🏫 About Dr. Spencer:
⏺ Director of Juniper Gardens Children’s Project & Professor, University of Kansas
⏺ Board Certified Behavior Analyst since 2001
⏺ 24 years of experience serving diverse children, families, and educators
⏺ Awarded over $15M in research grants
⏺ Author of 64 peer-reviewed articles, 5 book chapters, and creator of practical storytelling interventions

Drawing from speech-language pathology, school psychology, applied linguistics, education, and behavior analysis, she develops and studies oral storytelling interventions to promote the academic language needed to boost reading and writing outcomes of young students, with and without disabilities. Much of her research has resulted in commercialized assessment and intervention tools, available through www.LanguageDynamicsGroup.com or open access educational materials, most of which are available at www.trinastoolbox.com

✨ Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from a leader at the intersection of language, literacy, and behavior analysis.

📅 Conference Date: Friday, October 24, 2025
📍 Virtual on BehaviorLive
💰 Early Bird Rate Full Conference: $99 (through Sept 30)
➡️ Register here: https://behaviorlive.com/conferences/SPABA25/registration

25/08/2025

A tact is a fancy way of saying “label.” It’s how we teach kids to name what they see, hear, feel, or do.

Skinner defined the tact as a verbal operant under the stimulus control of a nonverbal object or event in the environment and reinforced by a generalized conditioned reinforcer (like social praise).

For both professions, this means that tacting is the foundation of a client's ability to observe and describe their world. By collaborating on teaching tacts, SLPs and BCBAs work together to build a shared vocabulary that is essential for all other forms of communication.

24/08/2025

22/08/2025

22/08/2025

Not All Requests Are Spoken Words 🗣️

In Skinner’s analysis, a mand (think: request) can be any form of communication that gets a need met — not just verbal speech.

💬 Saying “help”
🤲 Signing “more”
📲 Pressing “bathroom” on an AAC device
👀 Looking toward a favorite toy
☕ Handing over an empty cup

If it changes the environment to meet the communicator’s need — it’s a mand.

For SLPs, this means broadening the goal: we’re not just teaching words, we’re building functional communication in whatever form works best for the individual.

22/08/2025

😩 This is unacceptable 😩

The change comes after a legislative session that for the most part championed the rights of students with disabilities.

21/08/2025

UFLI x Project Read Assessment and Planning Portal!

Learn how the portal can enhance your teaching practice, save you tons of planning time, and help you make the most of your small group time.

21/08/2025

What are all the mands that Skinner discusses?

Skinner doesn’t give us a simple “list” of mands in the way we might see in a treatment manual, but he analyzes the different types and extensions of the mand — the operant under motivating operations control.

Check out the video for a breakdown of the mands Skinner explicitly discusses!

21/08/2025

🚨 CALL FOR SPONSORS 🚨
📅 2nd Annual Speech Pathology Applied Behavior Analysis (SPABA) Conference
Theme: Meaningful Outcomes Through Practical Application

🗓 Date: October 24, 2025 • Virtual • BehaviorLive

We’re looking for ethical companies who believe in the power of interprofessional collaboration between Speech-Language Pathologists (SLPs) and Board Certified Behavior Analysts (BCBAs)—and want to be part of a growing movement making real-world impact. This conference is tailored to our disciplines coming together to explore best practices within our shared scopes of practice.

💡 Why Sponsor SPABA?

✅ Reach a niche audience – Nearly 500 dual-credentialed SLP-BCBAs worldwide + exposure to over 20,000 followers across Facebook, Instagram, X, Pinterest and LinkedIn.
✅ Be part of an intimate, high-value event – Nearly 300 registrants last year and growing. Stand out without getting lost in a massive exhibit hall.
✅ Customizable benefits – We work with you to tailor your sponsorship perks to meet your unique marketing goals.
✅ Long-term value – Your visibility doesn’t stop at the conference. We promote our sponsors before, during, and after the event.
✅ Unique marketing touch – Our planning committee loves creative, tasteful, and impactful ways to highlight your organization.

If your agency is committed to meaningful outcomes, interprofessional collaboration and are curious and willing to engage across professional boundaries, we’d love to partner with you.

📩 Sponsorship opportunities are now open! Secure your spot and help shape the future of interprofessional practice.

https://behaviorlive.com/conferences/SPABA25/call-for-sponsors

21/08/2025

📢 Don’t Miss Out – Early Bird Ends Soon! 📢

The 2025 Skinner Session is happening virtually on October 11, 2025 on BehaviorLive ! 🎥✨

Theme: Science in the Real World: From Theory to Application
Join leading voices in behavior analysis as they explore how to bridge research and practice for meaningful real-world impact.

1) Verbal Behavior Panel: Bridging Contemporary Research to Practical Applications: David Roth | Francesca Degli Espinosa | Emily Kerwin | David Palmer
2) Applications of Behavioral Principles to Organizational Behavior Management:
Carl Binder
3) Translating Behavioral Principles: Connecting Research to Real-World Application: Sydney Berkman | Tim Hackenberg | A Charles Catania | Allen Neuringer

💰 Early Bird Rate: $80 — available only until August 31, 2025 and includes 4.0 CEUs
🎟️ Register now: https://behaviorlive.com/conferences/SkinnerSession25/registration

Secure your spot today and be part of the conversation that connects science to action.