Conestoga Behavioral Services

04/16/2026

Coming soon!

🧠 New in Operants Q1 2026!

What if instead of blocking escape behavior, you used it to build new skills?

That's the core idea behind Constructional Exposure Therapy (CET), a behavior-analytic approach that harnesses negative reinforcement as a tool for shaping, rather than eliminating it through extinction.

In "Highly Reactive Emotions and Behavior: The Promise of CET," Andrew Miller & Awab Abdel-Jalil walk through compelling cases: a child with complete food aversion eating again within 90 minutes, and a young autistic man going from fear of vacuums to happily vacuuming his own living room, all without escape extinction.

Key takeaways:

✅ Emotions track contingencies, not the other way around
✅ Genuine assent is built in - participants always have a way out
✅ The shift from negative to positive reinforcement happens naturally as new repertoires open doors to new consequences

Rooted in the work of Goldiamond, Skinner, and Rosales-Ruiz and now being applied across clinical settings. 🐾➡️🧑‍⚕️

📖 Read the full article in Operants Q1 2026, coming soon!

11/17/2024

We had a great time presenting at NYSABA! Thanks to everyone who was able to attend.

11/11/2024

"Skinner was concerned with constructing, or building repertoires, not with eliminating errors. ...errors are not necessary for learning to occur. Errors are not a function of learning or vice-versa nor are they blamed on the learner. Errors are a function of poor analysis of behavior, a poorly designed shaping program, moving too fast from step to step in the program and the lack of the prerequisite behavior necessary for success in the program."

Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, 2007, p.3 (paraphrasing B.F. Skinner from 1968)

11/01/2024

Come check out our talk at NYSABA in a few weeks!

10/17/2024

A behavior chain is a series of individual actions that are linked together to form a routine.

🔗 Imagine these actions as "links" in a chain, with each occurring in the presence a specific cue in the environment that not only serves as an occasion for the next action, but also to strengthen (reinforce) the previous one.

For instance with toothbrushing, picking up the toothbrush (cued by the site of the toothbrush) is reinforced by the toothbrush being in hand, while also serving as the cue to pick up the toothpaste.

🚀 Applying the concept of chaining can be instrumental in modifying habits, teaching new skills, and enhancing learning processes, making it a valuable tool in both personal development and therapeutic settings.

10/14/2024

🤔 Ever feel like teaching new skills to your kids is a steep mountain to climb? It can be overwhelming for both you and them.

🌟 Imagine breaking down that mountain into small, manageable steps, making every learning moment a success and a boost of confidence for your child by starting where they can be successful.

🔗 That's where the concept of shaping comes in! By using a series of attainable steps, it transforms learning into an enjoyable journey rather than a daunting task. Start making learning fun and effective today!

09/20/2024

We’ve been sharing a few quotes from a recently published article by Timothy Liden and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz.

The article is titled: Constructional parent coaching: A collaborative approach to improve the lives of parents of children with autism.

The paper describes a mentoring program that helped parents get more of what they wanted out of their lives, rather than being consumed by their stress.

When you want to change your own behavior or help someone else change their behavior, where should you start?

Often, we focus on what is wrong or lacking. This leads to slow progress and dead ends because if you focus on what is wrong, you have nothing to build on.

The constructional approach takes a different approach.

As Liden and Rosales-Ruiz write,
“The constructional approach uses a client’s strengths and assets as a starting point.”

If you can find a small kernel of success, you have something you can grow and build on.

Here are several questions that you can ask when you are looking for a good starting point:

— What is a small something that you could do now?
— In what situations is the “problem” not a problem?
— What resources or supports do you have access to?

Reference: Liden, T. A., & Rosales-Ruiz, J. (2024). Constructional Parent Coaching: A Collaborative Approach to Improve the Lives of Parents of Children with Autism. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1-18.

05/10/2024

This upcoming ABAI talk in Philly is highly recommended!

11/21/2023

This one is for all of our wonderful Behavior Technicians and all the other dedicated Para educators and therapists out there!

Somewhere out there,
there's a Para,
a Teacher's Aide,
a Para-Educator,
a Para-Professional,
a Behavior Technician.

Somewhere out there,
there's a Para wiping a nose.
A Para wiping tears.
All for the love of a child.

Somewhere out there,
there's a Para pushing a wheelchair around 3rd base.
A Para cheering and yelling, "go straight."
All for the love of a child.

Somewhere out there,
there's a Para repeating a math problem,
a Para sharpening a pencil,
All for the love of a child.

Somewhere out there,
there's a Para showing a student how to go through the lunch line,
and how to make new friends.
All for the love of a child.

Somewhere out there,
there's a Para teaching a student the box step, so he can ask a girl to dance.
A Para reminding students to be kind.
All for the love of a child.

Somewhere out there,
there's a Para teaching a student how to tie their shoes,
or change their clothes.
All for the love of a child.

Somewhere out there,
there's a Para repeating a zoom lesson.
A Para cleaning a classroom.
All for the love of a child.

Somewhere out there,
there's a Para making games out of homework.
A Para striking clever deals to see progress.
All for the love of a child.

Somewhere out there,
There's a Para lying awake at night.
A Para anxious about a new day.
All for the love of a child.

Somewhere out there,
There's you.
A Teacher's Aide.
A Para-Educator.
A Para-Professional.
A Behavior Technician.

The backbone.

The silent force that moves quickly and quietly through the school.
THIS IS MY SHOUT OUT TO YOU!!!!
You are forgotten by many,
But most importantly,
a HERO to some.

For those who are,
or who ever have been,
A PARA.
I know you do this each and everyday,
all for the love of a child.

Copied and pasted. Feel free to do the same.

09/06/2023

As a wonderfully timed follow up to our last post on assent, check out this new article on the topic! These authors emphasize the importance of planning programs that allow for participants to have multiple ways to obtain the outcomes they seek.

https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s40617-023-00850-9?sharing_token=8xYxqWXSRkfHXz2TuAuXwfe4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY6W1HiCMNkTrUbt2bWxQhWm1FipOt_d1nFaE_e8J0EmclcaE2-BX-lcC_lgGuqgzFVgsi-zRJwfUAbnYDIgjl9KEMy4qUS8MQEuMcWZdEE7mGDzQEJUA2HRZWWu_Nnvdgg=&fbclid=IwAR16wBvc7gkcuQC9FpwXXC0r0fUstcNhobfOncPK8XiLa-j7pA4sV_N2wG4_aem_ATdlYdSlGl0W_SiZEh0RlTaXHwtfh81-9Fd7AOaKwAq90QwhMIpTXfasfhiBKsdjAHk