For Kids Like Me
with Brittany Man
How often do we hear negative misconceptions to being a school-based BCBA?
Would you be open to hearing about the benefits of impacting the lives of all students and teachers?
During today’s meal— I speak with a school-based behavior analyst about supporting diverse students, learning from our clients, and her motto “I do this for kids like me.”
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Amuse-Bouche
Regarding being a school-based BCBA, can you elaborate on the phrase, “I do this for kids like me”?
Appetizer
How did you get into Behavior Analysis?
Palate Cleanser
After a long week, describe what you’re doing to decompress. What are you eating?
Entree
One thing people are generally surprised to find out about you?
Expand on the phrase “supporting diverse learners when sometimes what is best for the learner isn't what is favored by the staff.”
Elaborate on the misconceptions, challenges, and benefits of being a school-based BCBA.
Dessert
The best compliment you have ever received?
Your favorite thing about what you do?
Excerpts from the Episode
(*Paraphrased highlights)-
I was a behavior kid myself. I ended up being diagnosed with ADHD when I was around 11 years old. If I was in today's generation, maybe I would have gotten caught in elementary school, but because I was in school in the '90s, they just wrote it off as being a girl. I was chatty. I was creative. I was very gifted in writing and arts. Regardless, I collapsed under the weight of myself. By the time that I got to middle school, I went from being at the top of the class to failing. I started having significant difficulties with peer interactions. I started getting into trouble. I remember adults testing me, and reading how they wrote about me in such negative lights.
I try and make sure that with the kids that I work with now, I get to be that adult who writes about their strengths and genuinely likes them, even if they are throwing a chair across a room. I'm like, "I'm here because I care about you… but I want to find out why you needed to throw that chair, and I want to help you see other ways.” I want to show kids that it's okay to feel overwhelmed, but we can get through this together. Instead of just telling them to dig themselves out of a hole, I show up with a shovel and I show them how to use it.
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When my grandmother passed away someone gave me a big hug and they said, “you're her now.”
My grandmother was the best person in the entire world. She was a special education teacher and I remember back in the day she would show me this different understanding of people. My friends would show up at her house when I wasn't there because she had an open door policy. No matter what was going on she would always tell me I was just on a path that no one else had taken before, and she never judged me. She was my safe person.
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I absolutely love the kids I work with, and there are things I love about each of them. Seeing how hard these kids work every single day, how much effort they put in even on days they have no interest, the amount of effort they put in to get what they need in those moments is admirable.
I love the way they help me slow down. I love the way they help keep my brain moving. I love when I go to do a lesson with a kid and I'm sitting there and I'm trying to work through all of these steps and they completely derail me in a way that makes me learn more, or when they give their perspective and I'm like, “I'm gonna take that to my next lesson— that was phenomenal— I never considered it that way.”
When they trust me, I genuinely don't think there's any higher honor than knowing that you've earned the trust of a child, especially my students who are non-vocal or who are working on any type of communication. When I'm able to show up and they're able to be there for me, or calm down when they see me, that is just unparalleled knowing that I'm able to be that person for some of these kids.
And frankly, I love sensory play so being able to throw my arms elbow deep in some shaving cream is not the worst thing ever.
ABOUT Brittany
Brittany Man, BCBA
I'm a school-based BCBA in Connecticut who found my calling in the field of behavior analysis in adulthood after taking a leap of faith and making a career change. From the moment I entered the field, I fell in love with it—while also cautiously questioning elements that didn’t quite sit right. Early on, a friend told me, “You’ve got a good gut,” when I voiced my concerns, and that simple affirmation gave me permission to trust myself and lean into what truly mattered to me. That instinct, I later realized, was the foundation of values-based living, which continues to guide my work today.
I’m neurodivergent myself and have experienced the IEP process from all angles—as a child who received one, the mother of a child with one, and now as a professional who helps create them. While working in schools often gets a bad rap, I love the reach and impact I have in this setting. I truly love what I do, I love learning, and I love discussing all things behavior analysis anywhere and everywhere.
Beyond work, I’m passionate about hiking, photography, dance parties, writing, and spending time with my family. And above all, I love working with kids and exploring the endlessly fascinating world of behavior.
CONNECT with Brittany
Instagram: @rad.behaviors
Websites: radbehaviors.comPlease support our podcast by leaving a rating or review!
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Visit my Podcast page to learn more about Behavior Bites!
