Momentum Learning Services

A while back, I posed the question (wrong-answers-only-style), "What project am I working on?" 🤔
-Sock/hand puppets?
-Chicken Dance?
-Practicing the motions needed to knit a cat a jumpsuit?
-Global domination?
-"Leveling Up Your Shadow Puppets"?
-Bunny hop?
-"How to Eat an Invisible Cheeseburger?"
-Aliens?
-"How to Grow Taller"?
-Impersonating Ross telling someone to lower their voice with his hands?

The real project I've been working on? -------> *BEHAVIOR STRATEGY BUFFET*
I've been building content for some time now...focused on supporting kids, collaborating with educators and keeping a hopeful message alive. Behavior intervention is NOT always easy, but I believe we can make our greatest impact by keeping a few core values in mind:

-Behavior Intervention = Teaching New Skills
-Learn from and listen to each other
-Assess and EMPHASIZE strengths
-Track progress in a meaningful way, to signal celebration and cue change

So here's the next question: 💭
-->> Should this come-and-go, take-what-you-need, better-together, package of strategies, brief videos and tools be in the form of a...

~TpT Store~ OR ~Google Classroom Cohort~
🤔🤔🤔

"Many of our neurodivergent kids have "SPIKY" skill sets. There is often a significant gap between their BIG strengths and their other skills." - NeuroWild

The Irony!
I made a mistake.
I used a smaller sheet to conserve resources. 🤑
💙 My unpaid worker (husband) had to use special tools to help.
⚒️ 🪓 Laminators are NOT easy to get into. 🪚🪛

🔄 Next step: move on.

👉 Wrong answers only: What project am I working on?? 🤔

Yessss! 💪💪
📷: Liz Fosslien

Although breaks are best when they are customized to needs, this is a great guide! 🔦

I'm so grateful that I got to be part of this wonderful opportunity! Thank you, Dr. Mark Dixon and Emergent Learning Academy!

Nothing better than ABA & ACT with Dr. Dixon and our afternoon team! Such a fun time learning together! Thank you for coming!

🗓️ 7-Week Virtual Book Study for Parents and Caregivers --> Starting Jan. 10th

💟 Links to apply for sponsorship or to sponsor a family are included in the flyer and the comment section.

📱 💻 What is a virtual book study??
Rather than having a set time to login and participate, this virtual book study will be "come and go" style, where you can make connections with the group when it's best for you, day or night, on your computer or phone.

😕 Intimidated by technology?
You will receive a detailed message and video walking you through the simple steps of getting started on your phone or on your computer.

✨ Each Week there will be:
--Suggested reading/listening from the book that you will do on your own
--2 videos posted to an online discussion platform called Flip
--An option for you to interact and pose questions to group members
--Opportunities to make meaningful and accessible connections with folks walking through similar experiences
--Tools discussed to support social, emotional and behavioral skills

🤨 Questions?? Post them here and I'll do my best to answer promptly.

What great ideas to connect with kids and adults in new ways! 🗣️



📷: Kat Vellos

What if, at the end of the day, we made an exclamation instead of posed a question?

Just finished up this webinar. What a wonderful training!
🤩 10/10 Recommend

➡️💪➡️

💯🎯

📸

Until then...be here. 💜💪

I hope you have a wonderful start to a wonderful month! 🎉🍃🍂🍁

Attention extinction (“active ignoring”) can be effective in some circumstances, but this strategy by it's nature, leads to a spike in intensity and frequency of challenging behavior (with an eventual decline if implemented consistently and if the learner is actually seeking attention). This strategy is also intended to be used with specific plans to give attention at high rates to teach the learner better alternatives to meet a need.

I do use and recommend "active ignoring" for SOME situations; however, settings are often not well-matched to sustain the extinction burst (intensity increase) and/or rate of rewards needed to build new, positive behaviors.

There IS power in paying attention:
Paying attention to lower-level challenging behavior is a strategy that can be effective. Teaching, practicing and reinforcing alternatives (even slightly better ones) is sometimes easier said than done, but it is a worthy pursuit and one that can lead us to win-win scenarios.

I don't have all of the answers but together WE have the best solutions. Matching interventions to settings is a really tough task, one that I am continually striving for and learning about.
Dr. Billie Retzlaff shares some great insight on just that:

“BCBAs, behavior specialists, educators, everyone. Please stop recommending people "ignore" inappropriate behavior (in fact, don't rely on extinction at all if you can help it). I understand people have a lot of nuances in what they mean when they say to ignore, and that for a lot of inappropriate behavior this strategy when applied would actually work well. However, in real life, integrity and acceptability of extinction-based procedures is low, so we need to be able to provide support that understands options beyond extinction. Instead of saying ignore, talk about how you can minimize energy or reaction to inappropriate behaviors (and of course maximize for appropriate behaviors). I also find that giving staff known responses for inappropriate behavior is critical in helping to minimize energy. “
- Billie Retzlaff, BCBA-D

📸: ABA-ish

Gosh it's hard to accept our best, especially when:

--> our best changes from moment to moment
--> we want to push ourselves for perfection
--> comparison is an accessible but slippery slope

Let's practice together... OUR best

📣 Here we go Au-gust, here we go (clap, clap)!

The Squad Goals workshop this morning was made up of current and future special education teachers, some who have worked in the field for 33 years! In the room today, there were 132 years of collective experience. What power there is in collaboration! 🤩

Mandy and I are grateful for your time, your insight and just for being your wonderful selves! 💟

Thank you once again to the MSSU Department of Teacher Education for opening your beautiful space. Shout out to the MSSU students that attended and jumped in to share their perspectives! 👥

I'll be back at MSSU again on Monday, August 7th (8:30-Noon) for a workshop on meaningful and manageable data designed for any staff working in education,
"From Data = Doom --to --> Data = BOOM Shacka-Lacka." 📈📉
Details and registration: https://forms.gle/exZ4MfoUkBghj7kV6

Mandy and I are pumped to see you all TOMORROW at MSSU
for Squad Goals!! 📣🎉

We are meeting in the Gene Taylor Education Building ("Taylor Hall"), Room 113.🦁

See you in the morning! ☀️

Today is the last day to sign-up for the Squad Goals workshop on Tuesday next week!

Special education paraprofessionals and teachers ⤵️

📲 Scan the QR code on the flyers or click here to register https://forms.gle/N9sye5js4BZYWtgH9

🦁 Are you a current MSSU student or alum?? Enter promo code MSSU23 at checkout for FREE REGISTRATION!! Limited spots available.

Special education paraprofessionals and teachers ⤵️

Friday, 7/14 is the last day to register for Squad Goals on 7/18!

📲 CLAIM YOUR SPOT by scanning the QR code on the flyer or clicking the link: https://forms.gle/N9sye5js4BZYWtgH9 (link in bio)

💸 🦁 Are you a current MSSU student or alum?? Enter promo code MSSU23 at checkout for FREE REGISTRATION!! Limited spots available.

What a wonderful time at MSSU this morning, learning with a phenomenal group of educators. Thank you all for coming and collaborating! 💟

Next up on 7/18 --> Squad Goals workshop for Special Education Paraprofessionals and Teachers. 📣

I spent some time at MSSU today. All set for tomorrow's workshop: Getting to the R.O.O.T. of Challenging Behavior.

Can't wait to connect with current and future educators!

A little over a year ago, I drew on a notecard. A few months later, I ordered business cards with a logo made by a good friend. I keep these hanging in my office side by side to help me remember:

➡️I can try new things.

➡️ I can lean on those around me when I need help.

➡️I don’t have to have it all figured out- just the next right step.

I’m so grateful for the encouragement and support from friends and colleagues. Collaborating with and serving kids, families and educators through Momentum Learning has been an amazing blessing, but not without challenges. This first year has been an adventure indeed!

I can’t wait to see what’s ahead. Thank you for following along- really- it means alot!

I have thrown out various business ideas in the last year, but these core values typed in my notes app a year ago are still here:

✨Behavior Intervention = Teaching New Skills

✨Learn from and listen to each other

✨Assess and emphasize strengths

✨Track progress in a meaningful way, to signal celebration and cue change

📣 Calling all Special Education Staff!!

🚙 Join Mandy and I on Tuesday, July 18th at MSSU (8-Noon).

💸 🦁 Are you a current MSSU student or alum?? Enter promo code MSSU23 at checkout for FREE REGISTRATION!! Limited spots available.

📲 Scan the QR code on the flyers or click here to REGISTER: https://forms.gle/N9sye5js4BZYWtgH9

🔁 Come collaborate, learn and connect with fellow educators. Walk away with tools!

Functions of Behavior GROWN-UP STYLE!

Attention/Connections Seeking: Instagram perhaps? TikTok? Facebook, for sure
Escape/Avoid: Netflix, YouTube!
Access/Tangible: Etsy, Amazon
Sensory: GrubHub! UberEats, I want to add PornHub, but ewwwww.

What's your most common behavior function? I think I'll go with ESCAPE and Netflix! Yeah, baby!

What a wonderful sight!

*Privacy disclaimer: Boy on the slide is a Google Image model :)

Early on in the field, I often had a self-imposed goal focused on “fixing.” I would move quickly to trouble-shooting, deploying new strategies or recommending adjustments. This was paired with good intentions and sometimes served situations well, but I now work towards a different default, where slowing down is a strategy. And where the best first goal doesn’t involve fixing or influencing; but rather, involves seeking to understand.