Customer Reviews

Behaviorspeak: A Glossary of Terms in Applied Behavior Analysis (Volume 1)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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This is an excellent resource for parents, paraprofessionals and professionals who are involved in an ABA program. Most terms are listed (including names of books, assessments, and people) that are often referred to in the field of ABA. It is easy to access the information within the book since the terms are in alphabetical order. I found it to be very reader friendly with larger sized print and limited jargon within the descriptions. (You don't need to look up 5 terms to understand the one you initially opened the book to read about.) My favorite part of the book, however, is the humor. It gives the book personality and positively reinforces my reading behavior :0)

As I opened my initial text in ABA I was somewhat daunted (and depressed) when I realized I had to learn a new language to effectively assess the material I needed to cover. I was unwittingly the subject of a Stroop experiment - in short, my reading automaticity was off and I spent an inordinate amount of time re-reading the same passages.

I checked the glossary for clarification. Well, the same authors who wrote the book, wrote the glossary, using the same language - not a big help. I then turned to "Behaviorspeak" which was part of my "bundle" and was ecstatic! The terms were explained in the vernacular with clear, often amusing, examples given. The time saved in trying to tease out the terminology was huge, and I could easily check to see if I was using the proper terms while writing papers. I would love to see a student's edition of this book, expanding on the academic and technical terms we use.

I highly recommend this book for every student pursuing a course in Applied Behavior Analysis! It will save you time,energy and lower your stress level.

I was given this book to look over by a parent of a child with autism. Being in the field myself, I think the authors have put together a useful book for those in applied behavior analysis. It's a nice companion guide as long as the reader has some degree of pre-existing knowledge about ABA. It should help relatively new practitioners and parents to keep the procedures and philosophies straight in their minds. It was especially nice to see special education terms included for the layperson and beginning practitioner. One of the book's best uses may be to use it to argue against folks who really don't know ABA but discourage its use because they have heard it's "robotic." I've read some of Newman's other books and, taken together with this one, it's hard not to see the human side of ABA, despite its complexity and comprehensiveness as a discipline.

I have used Behaviorspeak as a reference several times. Often, I read information on the internet, or even hear a teacher use a term, and I'll think "wait, that's not right," or "what does THAT mean?" Then I doubt my own knowledge and understanding of terms commonly used in ABA. Behaviorspeak is great for clarification, as well as inspiration for program and procedural ideas. I remember when I first joined autism groups on the internet, it took a few months before I truly understood the language parents and professionals were speaking. Behaviorspeak would have saved me a lot of time and confusion! This glossary is an empowering resource.

Behaviorspeak is humorous, concise, AND informative. As a reference to ABA terminology, it's exactly what I had been looking for. It's the perfect companion to have, as I continue to learn more about the ABA field.

It's nice to see that behavior analysts like Newman, Reeve, Reeve, and Ryan are trying to make the technologies of ABA more accessible and easy to understand. The book is a nice way to introduce yourself to the field and it's also a nice refresher guide for professionals. The inclusion of terms that are not actually part of ABA but that are sometimes confused with ABA terms was a nice touch, as was the debunking of some of the common myths of ABA. The jokes gave the book a nice human touch that most of Newman's books have.

I cannot express enough the importance of this book in everyones home or school library. It takes terms that can normally be overwhelming and technical, and makes it very digestable and easy to understand. As a parent and educator, this book has been a vital asset to my collection of ABA / Autism books. I applaud Dr. Newman (and collegues) for yet another well written and much needed book, when ABA and it's terms, are now consumed by individuals OTHER than behavior analysts...

Nicole Dibra ,parent and educator

I am always glad to find resources that are parent friendly. I bought a copy for myself and for all of my son's teachers. They love having it as a reference. It is a lot less overwhelming to read books and to attend conferences when I am armed with this reference tool. At the last workshop I attended, it got passed around to 3 other parents. All too often the message is lost among all the terminology. I am glad someone finally addressed this need. I found it easy to follow and refreshingly humorous. A definite value-add to my collection of resources!

I purchased this for my Behavior Modification class. It has been an excellent source for defining terms. I take it to class everyday. It will also serve me in the future as I prepare for the Psych GRE. I would highly recommend it to anyone.

As a parent with a child with autism in a behavioral program, one of the many areas where I have had to hit the ground running is learning the many specific terms and definitions related to this instructional model in a way that is quickly accessible. Behaviorspeak fulfills that need splendidly as a thorough glossary of behaviorism and ABA. I found the definitions to be accurate and precise without being overwhelming, and I appreciate the authors' kindness in putting cross-referenced definitions in CAPS so that was able to quickly find other terms to flesh out my understanding.
I appreciate that the authors respect the audience enough to not only include common terms, but to include more advanced terms and concepts such as identity matching vs. arbitrary matching, Sdelta (in addition to the usual Sd), etc. and to explain social validity, statistical significance and other terms which are useful to parent and professional in contemplating programming and effectiveness of intervention questions.
There are touches of humor, but none distracts from the serious nature and content of this book. A nice thorough job. Thank you Newman, Reeve(s) and Ryan.