Thanks for joining me for Session 326 of The Behavioral Observations Podcast. This episode was recorded live at the 2025 Verbal Behavior Conference, where I had the honor of moderating the annual panel discussion.

If you haven't attended a previous Verbal Behavior Conference, you're in luck, because the next one is coming up in just a few short weeks. The 2026 VBC will be held on March 26th and 27th, and it will be preceded by a full day workshop.

If you've listened to the show for any length of time, you've heard my go on about how unique this conference is. If not, please indulge me for a moment. The VBC is unlike any other event because each presenter gives two talks across the two days of the conference. This provides them opportunities to dive deeper into their subject matter, which gives audience members so much more information to improve their practice with.

If you attend in person, you'll have numerous opportunities to interact directly with the speakers too. Whether that's between sessions getting coffee, grabbing lunch in the nearby cafe, or at the poster sessions, you're probably going to have a chance to pick their brains.

If you can't be there in person, BehaviorLive provides a top-notch virtual experience. I'd also say that the VBC has a very consistent and engaged online community too, to the point of me being able to recognize many online attendees' names having seen their chat commentaries for the past few years.

For this year, the VBC is pulling out all the stops by hosting a discussion with Drs. Patrick McGreevy and Mark Sundberg, where they will talk about how to decide whether a learner should continue with VB-MAPP-like learning objectives, or transition to a functional curriculum, such as Essential for Living.

Thanks for indulging me, back to this episode...

This panel dives into some of the most pressing clinical and practical questions facing practitioners today — from navigating difficult conversations with parents to the nuanced intricacies of mand training, motivating operations, and supporting learners with limited reinforcers.

Whether you are a seasoned BCBA, or an aspiring behavior analyst, this episode is packed with the kind of insight you're just not going to get anywhere else.

Featured Panelists

• Dr. Judah Axe

• Dr. Patrick McGreevy

• Dr. Barbara Esch

• Dr. Caio Miguel

• Dr. April Kisamore

• Dr. Nicole Rodriguez

• Dr. Tiffany Kodak

Topics Covered in This Episode

Transitioning from Language Acquisition to Functional Skills Curricula
The Momentary Nature of Motivating Operations
Mand Training with Learners Who Engage in Self-Stimulatory Behavior
Working with Learners Who Have Very Limited Reinforcers
Pre-Requisite Skills for Learning More Complex Forms of Verbal Behavior
Instructional Control Pre-Requisites for Teaching Echoic Repertoires
Challenges of Conducting Clinical Research in Verbal Behavior
Supporting Learners from Bilingual Households

Sponsor Shoutouts!

The School Behavioral Solutions for Special Educators & Behavior Analysts. The Behavior Toolbox Conference is a one-day, high-impact professional convening that brings together experienced practitioners and leaders from across education and behavior science to share what actually works in schools. While the live event has come and gone, it is available on-demand through BehaviorLive.
Behavior University. Their mission is to provide university quality professional development for the busy Behavior Analyst. Learn about their CEU offerings, including their 8-hour Supervision Course, as well as their RBT offerings over at behavioruniversity.com/observations. Don't forget to use the coupon code, PODCAST to save at checkout!
CEUs from Behavioral Observations. Learn from your favorite podcast guests while you're commuting, walking the dog, or whatever else you do while listening to podcasts. New events are being added all the time, so check them out here.
HRIC Recruting. Cut out the middleman and speak directly with Barbara Voss, who's been placing BCBAs in great jobs all across the US for 15 years.

The 2025 Verbal Behavior Conference Panel Discussion: Session 326

The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria