Finding The Glimmers
with Dr. Megan DeLeon
Behavior Bites Podcast - Ep25Oct 25, 2023Have you ever heard that behavior analysis can save the world?
Do you ever feel like that kind of thinking might create BCBA-holes?
During today’s meal— I talk with a well-known behavior analyst about opening yourself up to collaborating with other fields, the start of the neurodiversity affirming movement, and finding glimmers of joy in everyday life.
*Side note— Megan and her Do Better Movement was critical in developing who I am as a behavior analyst. I truly thank her for everything she has done for the field, and for me personally. She laid the groundwork for what ND affirming practice is today, despite pushback. Behind all that hate, there were thousands of behavior analysts who had a fire lit inside of them—- that finally saw a different, more soul-filling, compassionate way to ABA.
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Amuse-Bouche
What does finding your glimmers mean?
Appetizers
How did you get into Behavior Analysis?
What’s a typical “day in the life” of Megan look like?
Palate Cleanser
You’ve done a fair amount of traveling. What has been your favorite dish in the world?
Entrees
When was a time you failed? What did you learn from that experience?
What’s something people seem to misunderstand about you?
Dessert
What is your favorite thing about what you do?
What has creating the Do Better Collective meant to you?
Nightcap
What new and exciting projects are you currently working on?
Excerpts from the Episode
(*Paraphrased highlights)-
Glimmers are the opposite of triggers. They’re the things in your life that bring you joy. I know a lot of people who are experiencing life changes and there tends to be a bigger focus on what are all the things that cause us stress and are difficult, and I've definitely been in that frame lately. I'm trying to focus more on finding the joy in everyday things and getting back to experiencing those glimmers— and I hope other people can too.
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Appetizer - Lebanese Hummus
Entree - Egyptian Koshary (Koshari)
Dessert - Turkish Künefe (Kunafa - cheese pastry)
Overall - Korean food (but haven’t traveled there yet)
stone bowl bibimbap
jajangmyun (black bean noodles)
dduk guk (rice cake) soup
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I'm sure many listeners will connect with this idea that our science is superior to everything else, that we're the experts over everything, and we really have to advocate and push behavior analytic services above everything else. It's not that we shouldn't have a love for our science and be passionate about it, but I think a lot of us are trained to be so rigid and dogmatic and not collaborative about it.
For me, not fully embracing being open and curious earlier in my career, and seeing what I can learn from every interaction, with any person I encounter, is what I consider a failure.
If we keep acting like what we do is the only thing that is solely necessary, we're going to quickly slip into situations where we're no longer effective, because we're not informing ourselves enough or collaborating with all of the knowledge that exists now on being human, what's going on for people, and how they can create the best lives for themselves.
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A story that started being pushed by people who didn't agree with me was that I'm not scientific, and I’m only on social media to be a celebrity. It's funny because I use social media to disseminate information because I know that's where people go. I don't really know a thing about social media. I've never researched it. I have no idea what I'm doing and I don't even have a big following.
It's the implication that because I'm doing whatever activities online, I must not know what I'm talking about—- if I was scientific, I'd be publishing papers. I realized very early on when I was getting my PhD, that the time I was putting in to submit something to editors, I could have presented five to ten presentations. I could have connected with hundreds of people with real strategies that they could use with their clients. So why would I waste my time trying to publish papers to make an editor happy?
I just hate this idea that publishing and having journal articles is superior to the everyday work that we are doing as practitioners, the creative strategies we come up with, and sharing those with each other. There's so much more that can be accomplished than just showing people your graphs.
ABOUT Megan
Megan DeLeon, PhD, BCBA-D, IBA
Dr. Megan DeLeon (Miller) is a renowned behavior analyst, author, and speaker. As the creator of the Do Better Movement and founder of the Do Better Collective, she is dedicated to advancing the field of behavior analysis.
With a Ph.D. in Special Education and Behavior Analysis from The Ohio State University, and years of experience as an adjunct professor, Dr. DeLeon is a respected expert in her field. In addition to co-authoring several journal publications and book chapters, she is the co-author of the influential book "7 Steps to Earning Instructional Control."
Her passion for empowering others in the field led her to launch the #dobetter professional development movement in 2018, offering training and resources through an online community, webinars, and a podcast. As an invited speaker for organizations worldwide, Dr. DeLeon shares her expertise in best practices for early intervention and addressing challenging behavior. She is dedicated to making a meaningful impact on the field of behavior analysis and the lives of those it serves.
CONNECT with Megan
* Instagram— @dr_dobetter & @_dobettercollective_* Facebook— drdobetter & dobettercollective* TikTok— @drdobetter* YouTube— @dobetter* LinkedIn— megandeleon* Website— collective.dobettermovement.us
Visit my Podcast page to learn more about Behavior Bites!
