Being Hue-man

podcast

Aug 16

with Rashida Biera

Rashida Biera, BCBA, is a dark brown woman wearing her hair in locks.

Behavior Bites Podcast - Ep20

Aug 16, 2023

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Have you ever noticed how most visuals in our field don’t match the clients we serve?

Have you ever spent hours scrolling through google images to find more diverse and inclusive materials?

During today’s meal — I speak to a behavior analyst who decided to take matters into her own hands and create high quality, detailed images and educational materials of Black & brown kids & adults for many fields of study like: Applied Behavior Analysis, Speech & Language Pathology, Special Education, and more!

Amuse-Bouche
- Since this weekend is your anniversary, what fun activities do you have planned?
Appetizers
- How did you get into Behavior Analysis?
- When was a time that you failed, and what did you learn from that experience?
Palate Cleanser
- What’s your go-to brunch drink?
Entree
- What’s one thing that people are generally surprised to find out about you?
- Tell us about Hue-man Expressions. How has the process gone from an idea to having two creative directors and interns in only a year?
Dessert
- How do you practice self-care and have a work/life balance?

Excerpts from the Episode

(*Paraphrased highlights)

The BCBA exam. I was a multiple test taker. I took that exam six times. My family and my friends were saying just take a break. Take a break. I was like no, every chance I was able to take it, I took it every single time. Anybody who's studying for the exam, and multiple test takers, don't give up. It doesn't matter how many times you take that exam, that certification is just going to have your name on it and your number.
As BCBAs, we have to create treatment plans and materials for our clients. I've been very blessed to have a lot of black and brown clients. So I'm online searching for communication cards, and I’m spending too much time trying to find pictures. When I finally find something, it's not detailed enough, like a stick figure shaded brown.
When you do treatment planning and it goes longer than supposed to, you're not getting paid for that extra time. I told my husband, there has to be a better way. Jokingly, I was like, I should probably create some cards, right? My husband said yeah, you should.
I didn’t even know where to start. I got so overwhelmed because there are hundreds of cards for every single thing, but as we were out, I'm seeing little brown kids, black kids, and it clicks. Me and my husband start brainstorming over Chinese food. I was like okay, I want her to have this skin complexion and locks— like she has to have locks, I have locks, my husband has locks, my bonus son has locks.
When I was younger, being dark skinned I was insecure, so I wanted to make sure that I have little girls that are brown skin but also dark skinned. I wanted to authentically represent our culture, so a little boy may have braids, or there’s a girl sleeping with a bonnet, or an adult with a headwrap, so when they see these in real life it’s not a shocker.
So that's how it started. My husband created the website and then I posted, Hey, y'all, I did a thing. Since then, I can’t believe how supportive everyone has been.
I love taking naps and I'm really big into fitness. I work out five or six days a week and intermittent fast. We love to hike and cycle.
Setting boundaries at work is essential, letting my company and parents know that I also have a life outside of work. I have a to-do list and I try to get as much done, but if I don't get it done, I get it done the next day. For me to be able to still love my job and to not feel like I'm always working there has to be a cut off.

ABOUT Rashida

Rashida Biera, M.A., BCBA

Rashida Biera resides in Atlanta, Georgia but is originally from Brooklyn, New York. She is a BCBA and owner of Hue-man Expressions. Rashida has held positions ranging from Direct Support Professional to Program Director in the social service industry for 10 years, specifically in the field of Gerontology.

She became a RBT in 2016 and later pursued her BCBA certification. Having worked directly with clients for several years, Rashida is always intentional about encouraging and empowering her RBTs. Rashida received her master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis with an emphasis in ASD from Ball State University in 2018. In February 2020, Rashida obtained her BCBA certification after completing her supervised fieldwork.

Currently, Rashida works as a Regional Director in Atlanta, Georgia for an autism agency. She has experience working in-home and in-clinic with clients between the ages of 2- 13 years old. Rashida has a great deal of experience with parent training and integrating families into client care. Her robust experience allows her to identify areas of need in the field, and through Hue-Man Expressions and an amazing community, she can begin to remedy them.

Connect with Rashida