Global Behavior Education Alliance, LLC

Here are some Thanksgiving activities you can do with your child at home that are fun, engaging, and skill-building! Acts of Kindness Jar: Brainstorm ideas with your child that are acts of kindness they can do at home, school, or in the community. Write them on slips of paper and put them in the jar. Throughout the remainder of November and December, randomly choose one out of the jar, and help your child complete the activity. Sensory Bin: Create a Thanksgiving sensory bin! Items you could include: dried corn, feathers, mini pumpkins, leaves, pumpkin-scented slime/playdough, glitter, and many more. Pretend play: Set up a pretend Thanksgiving meal. You and your child can use this to work on turn-taking, conversational topics, pretend play, discussing foods they like/dislike, table manners, and many other social skills. Disguise a turkey: There are many different varieties of this activity online. Print a blank turkey and help your child disguise the turkey into something else, so he doesn't get eaten on Thanksgiving!

Manchester Monday is back!!!! Let's kick off this gratitude week by talking about Katherine - this gal is able to work with any kiddo, ready to work with our younger population and the older population. Regardless of communication style, Katie is ready to begin to pair and get to know our clients. She is agile when starting with new kiddos and learns their preferences to begin learning about what motivates our them right out of the gate! Cannot start the week better than that!

Ending the week with one of our faves!!! Audra Stangenberg, BCBA in the Cookeville clinic, always goes above and beyond to help the RBTs and BCBAS! She is a team player and a wonderful communicator. She plays a BIG part in helping keep a positive work environment in the clinic setting. She also makes amazing cinnamon rolls!

A BCBA (Board Certified Behavior Analyst), an SLP (Speech-Language Pathologist), and an OT (Occupational Therapist) are all professionals who support children, but they focus on different areas. ? BCBA: Specializes in behavior analysis, focusing on understanding and improving behavior, especially in children with autism or other developmental disorders. They use techniques like Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to help with skills like communication, social interactions, self-care, and reducing challenging behaviors. ? SLP: Focuses on speech and language development, helping children with communication issues. This can include supporting children with speaking, understanding language, listening skills, social communication, and even swallowing or feeding difficulties. ? OT (Occupational Therapist): Focuses on everyday activities, or “occupations,” such as dressing, eating, playing, and writing. They help children develop fine motor skills (like using their hands for tasks) and improve coordination, balance, and sensory processing. If your child has trouble with tasks like holding a pencil, buttoning a shirt, or handling sensory sensitivities, an OT can help. While all professionals might work with similar children, they address different aspects of development—BCBAs focus on behavior, while SLPs concentrate on communication, while an OT focuses on physical tasks and daily life skills. All roles play a key role in supporting your child’s growth.

Happy Wednesday! We hope everyone is having an enjoyable week. As the weather cools down career opportunities at GBE Alliance remain hot! This week, we are excited to share we have immediate openings for Behavior Technicians in Cookeville, Tennessee. If you have professional experience working with kiddos and are looking to make a bigger difference, but worry you might not be qualified because you aren't a Registered Behavior Technician, don't! Did you know that GBE Alliance offers paid training and that training includes your 40 hour RBT coursework and the exam? Interested in learning more about the RBT training process? Reach out to Austin Perkins, Talent Acquisition and Development Manager at [email protected] or apply below. We look forward to hearing from you! https://lnkd.in/e9A7PQDB

Guess who else passed their RBT last month??? Thi Da did and we are so proud of her!

Let's recognize Taya Herriott!!!! Taya does a fantastic job of communicating with analysts and the families of the clients she works with to address any issues and notify them of progress made during sessions. She is also super at ensuring that clients are engaged and acquiring skills. Way to go, Taya!

Difficulties with communication, especially vocal communication, are commonly observed across individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. When the learner cannot use their natural voice to communicate, we often teach them how to point mand. What is point manding? Point manding is when you position your extended index finger in the direction of what you desire or need. Why do we teach point manding? Pointing to the desired or needed item is often easier for individuals with autism. This skill provides them with a way to communicate their wants and needs. Everybody should be able to communicate what they want and need!

Thank you to all who served and are serving! We appreciate you all!

Kelly Martin just celebrated her 2 year anniversary as an RBT with GBE. Kelly is fantastic at meeting the needs of her clients. She is personable and able to engage clients on their level. She runs fun sessions that are full of laughter while learning. She gets to know her clients’ interests and incorporates them into their time with her to increase their engagement with work tasks that they may otherwise not enjoy completing. Kelly is caring and hands on when engaged with her clients. Every client who sees Kelly wants to have her again. She is also fun to work with in the clinic, and makes Saturday morning sessions cheerful with her sense of humor and willingness to pitch in and lend a hand. Kelly was a Preschool Special Education teacher prior to joining GBE part time, and continues to serve as a Developmental Therapist for early childhood learners through TEIS. She is also a published young-adult author and just began her Master’s program in Special Education this fall. It is inspiring how much she continues to contribute to her client’s needs and growth here at GBE in addition to the others she sees through her many roles in providing learning opportunities for children across our region.