The Misfit Behaviorists - Practical Strategies for Special Education and ABA Professionals
Are you a teacher looking for support with students with diverse needs or behavior management in the classroom? Tune into The Misfit Behaviorists podcast, hosted by Caitlin Beltran and Audra Jensen, BCBAs and special education teachers, as they bring you actionable tips to behavior reduction and skill acquisition. Listen to evidence-based strategies with a student-centered focus as they share practical advice for special education teachers, behavior support teachers, BCBAs, and ABA professionals.
Whether you're seeking advice or just want to laugh, new to the field or a veteran looking for a fresh perspective, tune in for this unique blend of professional expertise and real-life experience. Weekly episodes will be concise, because we know your time is limited! Don’t miss it!
Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: https://abainschool.com/misfits
😍 More, you say? We’re here for you!
- Apple podcast | abainschool.com/misfitsonapple
- Instagram | @themisfitbehaviorists
- YouTube | @themisfitbehaviorists
👋 Find us!
- Audra | abainschool.com
- Caitlin | beltransbehaviorbasics.com
🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!
The Misfit Behaviorists - Practical Strategies for Special Education and ABA Professionals
Positive vs. Negative Reinforcement and Punishment Explained (ABA Without the Jargon)
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
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!
