Behavior Bitches Podcast: Episode #90

M. Schneck | March, 24^th, 2022

Behavior Bitches Podcast | Episode #90 | Wes Lowery: ABA and Sports

Episode Description: On episode 90 (yes we have made it to 90 episodes!) we bring on Wes Lowery, BCBA, from Team ABA to talk about the intersection of sports and ABA and his experience applying ABA with both individuals with disabilities and athletes of all levels. Wes tells all the cool sh*t that Team ABA is doing within sports, fitness, nutrition, wellness, OBM, supervision and more! We talk about task analyses, shaping procedures, differential reinforcement, FBA’s, data, baseline, target bx’s, and goals, OH MY! You don’t want to miss this one. Love ya. Mean it.

If their name (Behavior Bitches Podcast) alone doesn’t give you an inkling to how amazing their podcast series is, I am unsure what else will. According to their website: “Liat Sacks & Casey McDaniel are two badass Behavior Analysts and your soon to be BFF’s. They make this crazy, “random” world make sense through the lens of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) by breaking down real-life topics like addiction, sex, and anxiety” (Behavior Bitches Podcast, 2021). A new episode is released every Monday and I, honestly, look forward to it. I discovered this series while studying for my Board exam--Liat is the founder of Study Notes ABA (SNABA), a company that seeks to help prepare individual to pass the Behavior Analyst Certification Board’s (BACB’s) certification exam; Casey is the 2^nd “babe in charge” (Study Notes ABA, 2022). SNABA does so through university collaborations and through the creation of study prep materials including online study collectives, workbooks, specialty classes, and individual tutoring. Post the passing of your exam, SNABA continues to provide support to the behavior newbies by assisting with career matching making, resume, editing, and continuing education units (CEUS) (which are required by the BACB). I can speak on personal experience—the Bitches are just what their values state: real, raw, and relatable. They truly “Love ya. Mean it!” (Study Notes ABA, 2022).

Now to this week’s episode—As soon as I saw the title, my heart went pitter-patter-pitter-patter; sports and ABA, wow. This week the Gals (feel like I have dropped enough of that B word for now so let’s use Gals) brought on guest West Lowery, BCBA, from Team ABA. Team ABA is a Behavior Analytic Sports, Health, & Fitness training organization that seeks to enhance athletic performance through the use of ABA. Lowery explains how Team ABA works, as a company—they aren’t a “cookie-cutter” type of ABA company; they create and build avenues that allow them to explore the use of ABA outside of the Autism Community. The BCBAs of Team ABA collaborate with Content Creators, the experts in whatever fields are being explored (e.g., nutritionist, strength and conditioning coach, physical therapist, sport specific coach), to develop a full behavioral training plan. These full training plans include developed skill assessments, functional behavioral assessments (FBAs), and training itineraries (procedures, data collection tools, rationale, schedule of reinforcement, etc.) that seek to enhance athletic performance; the plans use various schedules of reinforcement and creates a set criteria design to provide opportunity to earn reinforcement (Sacks & McDaniel, 2021).

Towards the end of the episode, Lowery answers a question regarding buy-in from athletes and coaches that he has worked with. He explains how feedback from athletes is typically positive as they are getting a great amount of visual feedback that further provides statistics, data, and film clips for/of the individual. Additionally, Lowery discusses a study conducted that concluded that most athletes in a team sport, only use their skill for about 15 minutes of a 60-minute interval; that means for the remaining 45 minutes, the athlete is not practicing their specific skill. The systematic usage of ABA in sport provides ample number of reps and opportunities to practice a skill, making it ideal among athletes who just want to play. Coaches, however, tend to proceed with hesitation about the usage of ABA; and rightfully so! A BCBA may be brought into an athletic team during a time of need, which may not be a positive/inviting environment (currently). Hearing that “your way” of doing something may not be the best; that does not mean it is not good, just there may be a better way. Behaviorists must walk a fine line when coming into a team to provide help, ensuring they aren’t stepping on the coaches’ toes; behaviorists are there to help, not judge or dismiss an individuals’ expertise (Sacks & McDaniel, 2021).

Although I have liked essentially every Behavior Bitches Podcast, this one may be one of my top five. Using ABA in the world of sports is new and up-and-coming but it has great potential to help athletes of every level enhance their performance. When I try to explain how and what I am doing in regards to ABA and lacrosse, I often get puzzled looks. Companies like Team ABA bring me comfort; I see the success behind using ABA to enhance athletic performance and know I am on the right track in regards to my research. This podcast pumped me up and I am even more excited, now, to get data collecting!

REFERENCES

Sacks, L. & McDaniel, C. (Host). (2021, March). Wes Lowery: ABA and Sports (No. 90) [Audio podcast episode]. In Behavior Bitches Podcast. https://behaviorbitches.com/podcast-episodes/

Study Notes ABA. (2022). Study Notes ABA. https://www.studynotesaba.com/

Team ABA. (2022). Team ABA: Where: Sport, Health and Fitness Meets Behavior. https://teamaballc.com/