The Misfit Behaviorists - Practical Strategies for Special Education and ABA Professionals

Ep. 69: Catch Them First — 3 Proven Ways to Prevent Misbehavior Before It Starts

Every teacher has that moment when they realize—“ugh, I missed it.” The chance to redirect before things spiraled. In this week’s episode, Audra and Caitlin flip the classic “Catch Them Being Good” idea into something even more powerful: Catch Them First. They share three simple, proactive strategies you can use to prevent behavior issues before they happen—so you spend less time reacting and more time connecting.🔑 Key Takeaways• Catch Them First: Don’t wait for misbehavior—frontload support and reinforcement before problem moments arise.• Prime Your Students: Use pre-corrections or positive greetings to set expectations early.• Be Specific: Genuine, detailed praise helps students know exactly what behavior to repeat.• Timing Is Everything: Immediate reinforcement makes connections stronger and behaviors stick.• Small Wins Matter: Even subtle acknowledgments (“Great job being ready!”) build trust and consistency over time.📦 Resources & Links• Related Episode: Ep. 68: 5 Quick De-Escalation Tips for Teachers → https://abainschool.com/ep68yt• Related Episode: Ep. 57: The Crisis Cycle → https://abainschool.com/ep57• Free Visual: De-Escalation Strategy Visual → https://abainschool.com/mja5🤝 Join Us💬 Share what you “caught first” this week in our Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group → https://abainschool.com/misfits🎧 Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast app📢 Tag us when you try these proactive tips in your classroom—we love hearing your wins!Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists😍 More, you say? We’re here for you! Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists 👋 Find us! Audra | ABA in School Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics Sami | B.A.S.S. 🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Misfit Minute 16: When Writing Tasks Cause Behaviors: Helping Students Stay Focused

Sometimes our students giggle, get wiggly, or completely check out when it’s time to write. Is it task avoidance? A skills gap? Sensory overload? In this Misfit Minute, Audra walks through 5 quick questions to help you figure out what’s really going on—and what to do about it—when pencil-and-paper tasks go sideways.🔑 Key Takeaways• Start with: Is it a can’t or a won’t? Skill deficits and motivation issues need different responses.• If it’s a can’t, reduce the demand—use scribes, stamps, typing, or tracing to build participation.• Use shaping to gradually increase writing tolerance—think small steps with strong reinforcement.• If it’s a won’t, reassess the reinforcement—maybe the “then” isn’t strong or fast enough.• Try shared turns—write together, take turns, and make it social and fun to build engagement.📦 Resources Mentioned• “Can’t Do vs Won’t Do” visual (in the Misfit Behaviorists FB group and linked in show notes) or here → https://abainschool.com/mm2w• Related episode: 5 Preschool Behavior Strategies → https://abainschool.com/ep66 • Crisis Cycle Creation → https://abainschool.com/ep57 • FBA process starts here! → https://abainschool.com/ep31 • ABA in School blog → https://abainschool.com•  Free token boards → https://abainschool.com/ymnr🙌 Join Us & Share• Keep the conversation going in our Facebook group → https://abainschool.com/misfits• Subscribe for more short tips + full-length strategy episodes• Share this with a teammate who works with reluctant writers or early learnersJoin the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists😍 More, you say? We’re here for you! Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists 👋 Find us! Audra | ABA in School Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics Sami | B.A.S.S. 🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Misfit Minute 15: Can’t or Won’t? How to Tell If It’s a Skill or Motivation Issue

Sometimes behavior looks like defiance—but what if it's actually a missing skill? In this episode, Audra walks you through a simple visual tool to help determine whether a student’s challenging behavior is due to a skill deficit (“can’t”) or a motivation issue (“won’t”). Using her quadrant graphic, she explains the four learner profiles (Engaged, Frustrated, Avoidant, Resistant) and gives practical strategies for supporting each one.Whether you're a teacher, para, or BCBA, this is a must-listen for decoding behavior and supporting students in meaningful ways.🔑 Key Takeaways• Use a skill × motivation quadrant to understand student behavior• “Can’t” behaviors need scaffolding, skill building, and celebration of small wins• “Won’t” behaviors require adjusted reinforcement, more choice, and real-world relevance• There are 4 types of learners based on skill and motivation—support looks different for each• Staff modeling matters: share your own learning struggles to build connection📦 Resources Mentioned• “Can’t Do vs Won’t Do” visual (in the Misfit Behaviorists FB group and linked in show notes) or here → https://abainschool.com/mm2w• Related episode: 5 Preschool Behavior Strategies → https://abainschool.com/ep66 • Crisis Cycle Creation → https://abainschool.com/ep57 • FBA process starts here! → https://abainschool.com/ep31 • ABA in School blog → https://abainschool.com•  Free token boards → https://abainschool.com/ymnr🙌 Join Us & Share• Keep the conversation going in our Facebook group → https://abainschool.com/misfits• Subscribe for more short tips + full-length strategy episodes• Share this with a teammate who works with reluctant writers or early learnersJoin the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists😍 More, you say? We’re here for you! Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists 👋 Find us! Audra | ABA in School Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics Sami | B.A.S.S. 🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Ep. 68: From Chaos to Calm — 5 Quick Classroom De-Escalation Strategies

Every teacher knows those days when everything seems to erupt at once. In this episode, Audra and Caitlin share five quick, practical de-escalation strategies that help you shift from chaos to calm—without losing your sanity or your sense of humor. From using proactive visuals to setting the emotional “temperature” of the room, these are tools you can use right away in any classroom or therapy setting.🔑 Key Takeaways• Prevention is your protection: Plan ahead with visuals, pre-corrections, and clear expectations to reduce triggers before they start.• Your calm = their calm: Be the thermostat, not the thermometer—your energy sets the tone. Use a calm voice, slow pacing, and neutral body language.• Give space and choices: Two choices = one win. Allow time and space for students to regulate and make a decision before stepping back in.• Delay, don’t deny: Instead of “no,” try “yes, later” or “no, but you can…” to reduce confrontation and maintain relationships.• Practice before the fire: Role-play refusals and problem moments before they happen to help students (and staff!) respond with calm and confidence.📦 Resources & Links• Free De-Escalation Strategy Visual → https://abainschool.com/deescalate• Related Episode: Ep. 57 The Crisis Cycle → https://abainschool.com/ep57• Related Episode: Ep. 6 6 Ways to Approach Challenging Behaviors and Trauma-Informed Care → https://abainschool.com/ep6🤝 Join Us💬 Share your favorite classroom de-escalation strategies in the Misfit Behaviorists Facebook Group → https://abainschool.com/misfits🎧 Subscribe on YouTube or your favorite podcast platform → https://www.youtube.com/@themisfitbehaviorists📢 Tag us when you try one of these tips in your classroom—we love hearing what works for you!Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists😍 More, you say? We’re here for you! Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists 👋 Find us! Audra | ABA in School Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics Sami | B.A.S.S. 🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!

Misfit Minute 14: Do You Really Need a New Behavior Plan?

Sometimes the issue isn’t that your behavior plan is “bad”—it’s that it’s not being followed with fidelity. Before you rewrite the whole thing, pause and check: are all staff on the same page, teaching replacement skills, and delivering reinforcement consistently? In this Misfit Minute, Caitlin shares some tough love and practical reminders about when you actually need a new plan versus when you just need to work the one you’ve got.🔑 Key Takeaways⦁        Consistency is critical—most plans fail because they aren’t followed, not because they’re wrong.⦁        Fidelity matters: check if reinforcement, teaching, and responses are happening as written.⦁        Communicate with your team before making major changes.⦁        Small tweaks may help, but give the current plan time to work.⦁        Collect data first, then decide if a new plan is necessary.📦 Resources Mentioned⦁        Related episodes: Start the FBA mini-series here → https://abainschool.com/ep31part1 and FBA Miniseries on Antecedent Strategies → https://abainschool.com/ep51⦁        Do We Need an FBA? blog post → https://abainschool.com/do-we-need-an-fba/⦁        FBA template → https://abainschool.com/mkmg or https://abainschool.com/pmcf 🙌 Join Us & Share⦁        Join the conversation in our Facebook group ⦁        Subscribe so you don’t miss future Misfit Minutes and full-length strategy episodes⦁        Share this episode with a teammate who needs proactive classroom strategies!Join the Facebook group for collaboration and freebies: The Misfit Behaviorists😍 More, you say? We’re here for you! Apple podcast | The Misfit Behaviorists Instagram | @‌themisfitbehaviorists YouTube | @‌themisfitbehaviorists 👋 Find us! Audra | ABA in School Caitlin | Beltran’s Behavior Basics Sami | B.A.S.S. 🖱️ Rate, Review, Like & Subscribe so you don’t miss an episode! Showing this love helps us get out to more educators out there!