Liz Maher is a behavior analyst and a mom. Her oldest daughter, Sarah, was diagnosed with autism back in 1998. In addition to supporting her own daughter’s education and development, Liz also became a BCBA. She worked for close to 15 years supporting Pennsylvania school teachers in applying behavioral analytic principles in their classrooms. Along with her husband Steve, Liz founded a company called DataMTD, which produces online applications for two of the most widely used assessments in verbal behavior: the VB-MAPP app for Dr. Mark Sundberg, as well as the EFL app for Dr. Patrick McGreevy.

Liz and I begin our discussion by talking about her personal journey and what led her into the field of ABA. We then talk about her current work with her husband and how their apps are making teachers’ lives easier when it comes to behavior tracking, analysis, and assessments. Liz and I also discuss how ABA has changed and evolved over the years, stories Liz has from her experiences in the classroom, and suggestions on how we can make the world better through behavior analysis.

What’s Inside:

• Liz’s personal journey and how she got into the field of ABA.
• How Liz and her husband are helping teachers with their apps.
• Thoughts on how to make the world better through ABA.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Just 7 Steps YouTube
Mark Sundberg – VB-MAPP
EssentialForLiving.com
EFLApp.com

Over my 20-plus years in the behavior field, I haven’t heard a lot of talk about self-management. One place I did hear about it was in 2018 at the ABA International conference. I participated in a workshop called “Exploring the Systematic Use of Self-Monitoring as a Behavioral Intervention: The Self and Match System”.  That presentation was given by my two guests, Dr. Katharine M. Croce and Jamie Salter. Katie and Jamie are responsible for the main school-based self-monitoring system I use, called Self and Match. Both Katie and Jamie have impressive academic backgrounds along with several years of real-world experience.

Katie, Jamie, and I discuss when and how they developed the Self & Match system and how far they’ve come since its humble beginnings. We also talk about their journeys into the field of ABA and how Katie and Jamie met. We then dive into what Self and Match is, how it works, and who it’s for. The official definition is an evidence-based self-monitoring system that’s used in schools, homes, clinics, and more. It’s a tool to systematically teach individuals how to self-reflect on their own behavior. We discuss how to get training on Self & Match and how to implement it. To learn more, check out the resources below.

What’s Inside:

• How Katie and Jamie got into ABA and created Self & Match.
• Who Self & Match is for and the goals it accomplishes.
• Resources on Self & Match and how to get started.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Just 7 Steps YouTube
Future Self & Match Trainings
Research on Self-Monitoring and Self & Match
Beyond the Walls: Establishing Classroom Expectations in a Virtual Classroom (journal article)
Free Resource: T-Charts to teaching expectations
Manuals ( 10% discount thru 2023 with promo code: JUST7STEPS)

Connect with Jamie/Katie:
Email: selfandmatch@gmail.com (or team@selfandmatch.com)
facebook.com/selfandmatch
twitter.com/selfandmatch
Instagram.com/selfandmatch
web: www.selfandmatch.com

Everyone loves tips and advice, but where do you get the advice you can trust? One of the things I try to do with my video blog is to give parents important tips and advice that can help them become more successful with their children. Here, I’m sharing some of the best tips and advice from my blog over the past half year, including:

• 5 tips to avoiding bad behavior in your kids
• How to discipline your kids through the use of consequences
• How to handle sensory issues

I finish things off with information from a blog I did on parenting advice that you should ignore. I’ll share a list of bad advice I’ve seen given to parents that really don’t offer any meaningful value or at worst, can harm a child long-term. If you want to learn more about getting your kids to listen to you without nagging or raising your voice, check out my workshop through the link below.

What’s Inside:

• The best tips and tricks from the past half year on the Just 7 Steps blog.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Just 7 Steps YouTube
Just7Steps.com/workshop