Flatrock Advising

Assessments aren’t programs.

They’re the starting point, not the instruction manual.

Tools like the VB-MAPP are designed to evaluate.

And when we turn milestones into programs, we’re not just skipping steps—we’re risking real gaps in skill development.

Progress should be built systematically.

That’s where thoughtful programming, component-composite analysis, and real clinical judgment come in.

Check out my thoughts on the dangers of teaching to the test—and how to start programming for progress.

Your learners deserve more than just mastered milestones. They deserve mastery that lasts.

https://zurl.co/KqIVQ

Milestones Mark Progress. Programs Make Progress. The magic’s in the middle.

🚀 Turn-Taking: The Gateway to Meaningful Social Play! 🎲

Ever wonder how to help learners take turns effectively during play? Whether it’s sharing a puzzle, rolling dice, or engaging in multi-player games, turn-taking is a fundamental skill that supports broader social and relational development.

We’ve put together a comprehensive skill sequence to break down turn-taking into achievable steps—starting with foundational skills like scanning, gestures, and responding to common toys, all the way up to multi-player game exchanges. Alongside these sequences, we provide treatment plan goal ideas, component skills, and composite skills to ensure a structured, individualized approach for every learner.

Check out BxMastery today!

Ever catch your brain whispering, “You’re not doing this right,” or “Everyone’s disappointed in you”?

Yeah, me too.

Especially when I first became a BCBA. Turns out, leadership and responsibility bring a front-row seat to the wildest mental storytelling you’ll ever experience. Spoiler: your brain’s just trying to protect you—but it can wreck your confidence in the process.

I just dropped this blog breaking down the three biggest mental curveballs I faced early on—and how I learned to recognize them.

If you’ve ever frozen up trying to make a clinical decision or found yourself silently judging the environment around you… this one’s for you.



https://zurl.co/jkQ0O

Three Lies Your BCBA Brain Tells You (And Why You Keep Believing Them) I have bad news.

Clarity, confidence, and creativity can explode when you have the right tools at hand. Every BCBA should have BxMastery in their toolbox.

A Thanksgiving post from the past...but pertinent THROUGHOUT every holiday season.

Enjoy :)



https://zurl.co/kMRQv

Why Chasing Reinforcers Is Making You Grouchy and Thanksgiving Can Fix It Gratitude—it’s everywhere this time of year.

It's good to keep tabs on your reinforcement strategies in therapy. But, before scrapping everything you've tried: Does this child have predictability at home? Stability? A sense of control? Sometimes, the home environment needs to be analyzed more than the therapy environment.

In ABA we talk a lot about teaching skills and behavior reduction—but what if we’re overlooking something just as important?

In this quick article, I talk about expanding reinforcement—helping learners find joy in a variety of experiences, not just the same few reinforcers.

It’s about moving beyond iPads and Goldfish to create curiosity and flexibility in how they engage with the world.

This shift can make a huge difference, both in the teaching session and in life.

Check it out and let me know what you think!



https://zurl.co/dJueV

Why Teaching Skills Alone Isn’t Enough: The Power of Exploration Happy Friday!

Life stressors don’t have to be BIG to be overwhelming. Small, everyday struggles add up—shifting bedtimes, new caregivers, chaotic routines. Behavior isn’t random. Look for patterns, not just triggers.

Life isn’t a controlled experiment. Truth of the matter is this: In some situations it’s more parsimonious to conclude that behavior is complex and multi-variate.

This is just a little snippet of what our Full Skill Tree looks like!

Enhance your programming precision by using https://zurl.co/5dBcD!

Ever wondered where to start or what's next when designing a skill acquisition program? Stop the guesswork—our Full Skill Tree is here to guide you! 🌳

🔹 Organized from simple to complex
🔹 Clearly mapped prerequisite (component) and advanced (composite) skills
🔹 Step-by-step sequences to ensure smooth progression

Explore the full roadmap and build stronger, more effective programs today! Check out https://zurl.co/5dBcD!

For a lot of our learners, joy lives in a few preferred items. Take one away? The whole house comes down.

But what if we could fix that?

I dive into how we expand a child’s world on purpose.

Not by accident.

Not by hoping they like the next toy we toss at them.

But through a structured, intentional process of building curiosity and rewarding exploration.

It’s not just about behavior. It’s about freedom. Resilience. Joy.

If you’ve ever had a learner melt down over a dead iPad, this article’s for you.

👉 Read it here on: https://zurl.co/86KD0
📌 PS: There’s an entire skill area with over 30 steps on Reinforcer/Preference Expansion at [https://zurl.co/XMDIt](https://zurl.co/kghzp)

Tag a colleague who needs this. Let’s give our kids more than a backup plan—we give them a bigger world.

Teaching Joy: Why Reinforcer Variety Matters The less we have in way of quality reinforcers, the less happier we are.