Dr. Kosmerl Consulting: Trauma-Informed and Neuroaffirming Consulting

03/27/2026

Data.

Methylphenidate (Concerta, Ritalin) does NOT increase psychosis in adolescents.

Trauma- informed behavior analysis and medication (when appropriate and consent/ assent is obtained) can help adolescents with impuslivity, coping and executive functioning, which in turn creates less social barriers.

Everything is socially based with adolescents.

Very interesting research!

Dr. K

In children and adolescents with , sustained methylphenidate treatment was not associated with increased risk of , and may be protective for those diagnosed in childhood.

https://ja.ma/4d4feAj

03/21/2026

Today is World Behavior Analysis Day.
It is also B.F. Skinner’s Birthday. (Not a coincidence).

I am a BCBA-D who believes in ethical and trauma-informed ABA. I started my career as an elementary teacher, I always believed in play and real world learning.

I truly believe in:
- Assent is imperative and a non-negotiable.
- Meeting needs even if it means reinforcing behaviors.
-Skills can be taught in the natural environment through social reinforcement, that is how we all learn and generalize.
- Kids / all clients have the right to say no. In fact- they should be taught to say no for self-advocacy reasons.
- Kids / clients should have autonomy.
- Skill acquisition should be based on the client’s needs and be functional.
- Functional age appropriate communication (yes, that may include curse words).
- Play is important. Everything should be play based!
- Adults have unrealistic and developmentally inappropriate expectations in K-12 settings (which plays into compliance, sitting, etc).
- Replacement behaviors.

I do NOT believe in:
- Compliance for compliance or any purpose.
- Table time.
- Forcing clients or families to fulfill hours- that isn’t meeting the client’s needs, that is meeting a companies needs. (PE’s- yes. You.)
- Extinction or planned ignoring works and it certainly doesn’t meet needs and do not use it. At. All.

This is what ABA can and SHOULD look like.

Over the next week, I will share real world examples of ABA.

ABA can look like many things and it should ALWAYS look like the client is willingly participating and showing assent through behaviors.

❤️ Dr. Kristin M. Kosmerl, EdD., BCBA-D, BCASE, IBA, CTRT-E, CTP, ACAS, ADHD-CE, CYMHS, LBA, LBS



https://www.worldbehavioranalysisday.com/

03/19/2026

I am pleased to share that my conference proposal for Purdue Global’s General Education Conference (GEC) has been accepted through a blind review process.

On April 21, 2026, I will present “Beyond the Seminar: How Virtual Office Hours Strengthen Communication and Belonging,” highlighting strategies virtual professors can use to increase engagement, support student success, and foster inclusion through live office hours in higher education.

For more than 25 years, I have advocated for inclusion in K–12 education. As students grow into adult learners, fostering inclusion and supporting students in higher education is equally important. As a full-time professor at Purdue Global in the Psychology- ABA Department, I can advocate and support students in my classes and university-wide.

Abstract:
Students in virtual learning environments often demonstrate reluctance to ask questions during large‑group seminar sessions. Contributing factors include the size of the group, misconceptions that meeting with faculty requires an urgent concern, and perceptions of instructor intimidation (Harris & Schmidli, 2023). To strengthen communication, promote inclusive dialogue, and increase opportunities for meaningful feedback, the intentional implementation of scheduled one-to-one virtual office hours is recommended. Office hours—designated non-instructional time outside of regularly scheduled seminars—provide students with structured opportunities to seek clarification, discuss challenges, and receive individualized support (Hsu, Rowland, Goldsmith, & Schwartz, 2022).
Research demonstrates that informal meetings between students and faculty are positively associated with higher academic achievement and greater satisfaction with course content (Nadler & Nadler, 2002). Additionally, for students from underrepresented groups, faculty–student interactions support a stronger sense of belonging and connection to the academic environment (Davis, 2010). Faculty‑determined virtual office hours with sign-up availability, creating a safe, predictable, and accessible space for students to engage with instructors without the pressure of self-advocacy or concerns about interrupting faculty. This approach fosters supportive student–faculty relationships and contributes to a more equitable and engaging learning experience, aligning with Purdue and Purdue Global’s commitment to accessible, learner-centered education.

I'm excited about the opportunity to present at this conference to professors and researchers from institutions around the globe. Please note this conference is for faculty from all institutions, is virtual, but it is not for students.

https://sites.google.com/purdueglobal.edu/general-education-conference/home

Dr. Kristin M. Kosmerl, Ed.D., BCBA-D, BCASE, IBA, CTRT-E, CTP, ACAS, ADHD-CE, CYMHS, LBS, LBA

03/19/2026

Trigger Warning: abuse, CSAM

This is so important to share with your kids.

AI pictures are treated as real pictures in the eyes of the law.

There is no joke, someone who creates or shares AI pictures involving nudity or anything close, will be arrested. If the pictures are of children under the age of 18, they will be charged with CSAM.

This is what schools need to be teaching, not memorization of the nucleus of cells- the dangers of AI as it is an abstract concept.

Dr. Kosmerl

03/18/2026

This is a sad statistic, but necessary read.

People with autism are not getting their mental and medical health needs met.

There is constant advocacy for basic needs, mental and behavioral health, medical, educational, insurance inclusion and many more areas on a daily basis.

I hear from parents most often, the daily fight for everything to keep their child safe, alive and get their needs met is not only exhausting but wildly unnecessary.

As a first world country, we HAVE to do better!

Dr. Kosmerl

Annual prevalence of unmet health care needs among children with in the US doubled from 2016 to 2023, with sharp postpandemic increases in unmet mental and medical health care needs.

https://ja.ma/4bMXiJd

03/18/2026

March 17 is profound autism day.

This day represents many people who have an autism diagnosis and have significant needs related to the diagnosis.

It is important to highlight the people with profound autism as they cannot advocate for themselves.

Dr. Kosmerl

Today is Profound Autism Day.

In 2023, the CDC reported that 26.7% of people with autism have profound autism. But its most recent prevalence report did not track this data. That gap matters.

Ask Congress to make sure it is tracked going forward:
https://ow.ly/Kehr50YvkVQ

03/18/2026

Words matter, something I always say!

Thank you Dragan Law Firm, LLC for your advocacy!

Words matter. Dyslexia and other learning disabilities do not define intelligence, character or ability to serve. A strong society values neurodiversity, because different ways of thinking make our communities more thoughtful, innovative and just.

03/13/2026

The fraud in ABA is high. Ever since it became a medical model the fraud increased.

This DOES NOT mean that trauma-informed ABA isn’t beneficial.

It means the big box, private equity (PE) firms that are ruining the field have to be held accountable.

It should be about the clients and families, not the same - everyone needs to get their hours every week and there are certain requirements for billables for each client that have to be met every week, no matter what. That is NOT ETHICAL. ABA is about human behavior, recognizing that every week is different.

Unfortunately the big PE firms have made it about money, not the therapy or the client.

There has to be changes. There has to be accountability.

While I will not be calling out the big PE firms by name, you can in the comments! IYKYK!

Advocating for ethical ABA for 25 years! The Wall Street Journal report on evidence-based trauma-informed ABA that many are doing and call the PEs out by name for accountability.

The business of providing therapy to children with autism has surged in recent years across the U.S., fueled by taxpayer-funded Medicaid payments.

Some companies have found lucrative opportunities to capitalize on the growing need for such care, sometimes outpacing regulators’ oversight, the Journal’s analysis found.

The number of companies offering such therapy—individualized treatments meant to help patients manage behavior and develop daily living and social skills—almost doubled between 2019 and 2023.

Direct payments from state Medicaid programs to autism therapy providers grew to $2.2 billion in 2023, from $660 million just four years earlier, according to the data. Private insurers administering Medicaid benefits paid hundreds of millions more.

That made applied behavior analysis, or ABA, as the therapy is called, the fastest-growing service in Medicaid, the state-run program for low-income and disabled people.

Federal taxpayers financed about 70% of Medicaid spending during that period. Entrepreneurs and investors, including some private-equity firms, have piled into the business.

🔗 Read more: https://on.wsj.com/3NhM3z2

03/12/2026

Palm Beach County, FL:

Exceptional student camps for teens and adults about marine conservation!

What a cool concept!

-Dr. Kosmerl

03/12/2026

Thank you Council of Autism Service Providers - CASP!

Ethical evidence-based ABA (and trauma-informed), not only works, bur saves lives.

03/11/2026

I believe continuous learning is essential to personal and professional growth, and I’m committed to ongoing education across my many areas of practice.

In 2026, I set professional development goals to deepen my understanding of artificial intelligence and its ethical, responsible use in both everyday life and professional settings.

I also prioritized expanding my knowledge of trauma-informed practices to further strengthen my work as both a BCBA-D and an educator.

I’m grateful to have completed these professional development goals for 2026 by early March. Each course included approximately 15–20 hours of training and applied learning activities.

Instead of watching TV or movies, I complete professional development. It is enjoyable to me 😊(Trust me- my teenage clients remind me of how much TV I do not watch when I have no idea of the characters they watch!)

Next up, developing new goals—continuing to focus on these topics to better support my clients and other professionals.

Dr. Kristin M. Kosmerl, Ed.D., BCBA-D, BCASE, IBA, CTRT-E, CTP, ACAS, ADHD-CE, CYMHS, LBS, LBA

drkosmerl@kosmerlconsulting.com
www.kosmerlconsulting.com