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ACT and Applied Behavior Analysis: A Practical Guide to Ensuring Better Behavior Outcomes Using Acceptance and Commitment Training
Quickly master a proven-effective behavior therapy that will allow you to expand the effectiveness of your practice. As a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA), you work with a wide range of clients, particularly those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Some of these clients may not be verbal at all on one end of the spectrum, while some may have very advanced language skills on the other. For these clients and their families, you need a flexible and adaptable therapeutic framework to ensure the best behavior outcomes. Drawn from relational frame theory (RFT)—the psychological theory of human language—acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) can help. With this definitive professional manual, you’ll learn to conceptualize your cases using ACT, create your own exercises, generate metaphors, be present with the unique individual learner in front of you, and practice the core ACT skills flexibly to ensure better behavior outcomes for clients and their families. You’ll find an overview of the theoretical connections between behavior analysis, RFT, and ACT, as well as the core act skills, including present-moment awareness, flexible perspective taking, committed action, and values work. Finally, you’ll find information on cultural competency and diversity to help you service a wide range of clients. If you’re like many BCBAs, you need specialized resources when working with linguistically sophisticated clients, as well as their parents and caregivers. Let this book be your comprehensive guide to incorporating ACT into your work.
304 pages, Paperback
Published October 1, 2023
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31 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 21, 2023
Disclosure: I am friends with the author and was asked to write a potential endorsement for this book - a book you’d want to read if you are a BCBA wanting to delve into ACT and incorporate in your practice. Tom’s writing is smooth, lyrical, linking it all back to theory - a step by step guide!
November 9, 2024
Szabo does an excellent job of balancing the molecular and molar view of the theory and practice of how ACT is compatible with applied behavior analysis. It is clear that he has an expertise in the history, philosophy of science, theory, research and practice of behavior analysis, and is on the forefront of integrating the practice of ACT within ABA. The 271-page textbook is thorough and in language that behavior analysts can understand and feel comfortable with. He not only explains the hows of ACT practice within ABA, but he underscores the importance of doing so. ACT opens ABA up to the science that it was always meant to be, the science that Skinner himself wanted for it. Science is progressive and ACT and RFT are the symbols of that progression. This, I believe, is the heart of this book that Szabo expertly conveys.
Along the way, he answers some important questions for our field: How is ACT practiced within the ABA scope of practice? How is ABA and psychotherapy different, even though they may sometimes look alike? How are behavior principles and behavior analytic treatments not only represented, but expanded within the ACT conceptual framework? Why is ACT important for ABA? And where does a behavior analyst go to obtain competency to practice ACT?
The last section of the book has to do with scope of practice, where he differentiates ACT in psychotherapy from ACT in ABA. He does go into explaining in a fairly thorough way the operational definitions of the two; however, this could have used further analysis for this distinction. The gist of Szabo's distinction lies with the necessity that behavior analysts using the indirect contingencies of verbal behavior as mediational processes to inform and augment our true target for influence - socially significant and well-defined overt behavior that is then measured and analyzed.
The issue I still see is that evidenced-based psychotherapies are encouraged to be practiced in a behavior analytic way, but yet are still referred to as psychotherapies. He does address the fact that psychotherapy as a field does not necessitate targeting overt behaviors for analysis, but instead can and often does focus on targeting psychological processes, ie. thoughts and feelings, for change.
But, ACT addresses this within psychotherapy - that thoughts/feelings are not a focus of change, but instead relies on relevant, functional overt behaviors for change, despite any interfering mental processes. Given that, psychotherapy (like as seen with FAP) and ABA can look and function much the same way. I see it as the common area of a Venn diagram. And in those cases then, how exactly is ABA practiced differently than an evidenced-based psychotherapy? From my reading, Szabo does not adequately clear this up. Just as ACT can be an extremely helpful, but very different conceptualization of traditional ABA, that conceptualization still remains within the ABA scope of practice. For that matter, so does FAP, CFT, DBT and other EBIs, or at least these EBIs can easily be adapted for ABA use. They are all evidenced-based interventions that may be conceptualized differently, but can be practiced within the dimensional ABA framework that helps define our practice. I would have liked to see an elaboration on this point.
Szabo helpfully goes through each ACT process, defines the processes in behavior analytic terms, maps those practices out in ABA terms, and provides much helpful scenarios in each chapter as prime examples. Along with this, he places exercises at the end of each chapter for the reader to practice each of these ACT skills. I liked that he created 33 different competencies of ACT for the behavior analyst to learn, and provides an exercise for each. My only criticism is with the layout of these exercises - the decision to separate the prompts from the provided response examples on separate pages. This was a bit confusing and disruptive to the reading flow. But, this is a relatively minor flaw.
Overall, I found this book thorough, precise and clear. I would highly recommend for any behavior analyst who is interested in expanding their practice.
Along the way, he answers some important questions for our field: How is ACT practiced within the ABA scope of practice? How is ABA and psychotherapy different, even though they may sometimes look alike? How are behavior principles and behavior analytic treatments not only represented, but expanded within the ACT conceptual framework? Why is ACT important for ABA? And where does a behavior analyst go to obtain competency to practice ACT?
The last section of the book has to do with scope of practice, where he differentiates ACT in psychotherapy from ACT in ABA. He does go into explaining in a fairly thorough way the operational definitions of the two; however, this could have used further analysis for this distinction. The gist of Szabo's distinction lies with the necessity that behavior analysts using the indirect contingencies of verbal behavior as mediational processes to inform and augment our true target for influence - socially significant and well-defined overt behavior that is then measured and analyzed.
The issue I still see is that evidenced-based psychotherapies are encouraged to be practiced in a behavior analytic way, but yet are still referred to as psychotherapies. He does address the fact that psychotherapy as a field does not necessitate targeting overt behaviors for analysis, but instead can and often does focus on targeting psychological processes, ie. thoughts and feelings, for change.
But, ACT addresses this within psychotherapy - that thoughts/feelings are not a focus of change, but instead relies on relevant, functional overt behaviors for change, despite any interfering mental processes. Given that, psychotherapy (like as seen with FAP) and ABA can look and function much the same way. I see it as the common area of a Venn diagram. And in those cases then, how exactly is ABA practiced differently than an evidenced-based psychotherapy? From my reading, Szabo does not adequately clear this up. Just as ACT can be an extremely helpful, but very different conceptualization of traditional ABA, that conceptualization still remains within the ABA scope of practice. For that matter, so does FAP, CFT, DBT and other EBIs, or at least these EBIs can easily be adapted for ABA use. They are all evidenced-based interventions that may be conceptualized differently, but can be practiced within the dimensional ABA framework that helps define our practice. I would have liked to see an elaboration on this point.
Szabo helpfully goes through each ACT process, defines the processes in behavior analytic terms, maps those practices out in ABA terms, and provides much helpful scenarios in each chapter as prime examples. Along with this, he places exercises at the end of each chapter for the reader to practice each of these ACT skills. I liked that he created 33 different competencies of ACT for the behavior analyst to learn, and provides an exercise for each. My only criticism is with the layout of these exercises - the decision to separate the prompts from the provided response examples on separate pages. This was a bit confusing and disruptive to the reading flow. But, this is a relatively minor flaw.
Overall, I found this book thorough, precise and clear. I would highly recommend for any behavior analyst who is interested in expanding their practice.
December 24, 2024
An overview of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy in the ABA context. Easy to read and appreciated the “Above All, Be Kind” section on page 41.
However, it became clear, especially starting in chapter 8, that this book is written with the underlying assumption that everyone is able to picture images and imagine senses in their minds. Thus, those with no mental recognition of sights, sounds, smell, taste, and/or touch may find portions of the book highlighting topics such as guided imagery dispiriting.
Overall, a good practical guide to ACT targeted towards those who are able to engage in visualization (and make it a multisensory experience).
However, it became clear, especially starting in chapter 8, that this book is written with the underlying assumption that everyone is able to picture images and imagine senses in their minds. Thus, those with no mental recognition of sights, sounds, smell, taste, and/or touch may find portions of the book highlighting topics such as guided imagery dispiriting.
Overall, a good practical guide to ACT targeted towards those who are able to engage in visualization (and make it a multisensory experience).
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews