Elevated ABA and Consulting

📢 Tonight's CEU Training!

**When Is an FBA Actually Needed?**
*Practical Decision-Making for School Teams*

School teams often face difficult decisions about when behavior concerns warrant a formal Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and when other supports may be more appropriate.

In this 1.5 CEU webinar, we'll explore:
✅ Factors to consider before initiating an FBA
✅ The difference between classroom, systems-level, and individualized supports
✅ Common pitfalls that lead to unnecessary or ineffective behavior plans
✅ Practical, function-based recommendations that are realistic and sustainable in school settings

📅 Tonight, June 18
⏰ 7:00–8:30 PM ET
🎓 1.5 General CEUs
💻 Live Webinar + Replay Included
💲 $29

CEUs can be earned through either live attendance or replay.

Whether you're a BCBA, school psychologist, behavior specialist, special educator, or administrator, this training will provide practical strategies you can immediately apply to improve team decision-making and behavior support planning.

Presented by Dr. Sara Dougherty, Ed.D., BCBA
ACE Provider # OP-26-12319

Register now and secure your spot!
https://www.elevatedabaconsulting.com/upcoming-ceu-june

Our next online CEU event will be held on Thursday, June 18th from 7:00pm-8:30pm and is titled, "When is an FBA Actually Needed? Practical Decision-Making for School Teams".

School teams are frequently faced with determining when behavior concerns require individualized assessment and intervention — and when classroom, environmental, or systems-level supports may be more appropriate.

In many schools, Functional Behavior Assessments (FBAs) are initiated reactively, inconsistently, or without clear decision-making processes, leading to overwhelmed teams, overcomplicated intervention plans, and challenges with long-term implementation.

This training focuses on practical, school-based decision-making surrounding FBAs, including when they are appropriate, what factors should be considered first, and how teams can build collaborative, function-based supports that are both effective and feasible within real educational environments.

Participants will leave with practical strategies for improving team decision-making, strengthening collaboration, and developing more sustainable behavior support systems across school settings.

To register and for more information please visit: https://www.elevatedabaconsulting.com/copy-of-upcoming-ceu-page

Tomorrow’s the day! May 21st

Registration is still open for our live CEU:

When Aggression Causes Real Harm: Practical, Function-Based Strategies for School Teams

This training is designed for school-based ABA professionals, educators, behavior specialists, and support teams looking for practical, realistic strategies that can actually be implemented in educational settings.

We’ll discuss:
• escalation patterns and response cycles
• function-based strategies
• staff consistency and implementation
• practical school-based intervention planning

✔️ ACE-approved CEUs
✔️ Live webinar + replay access
✔️ Practical strategies for real school environments

Would love to have you join us tomorrow!

Registration link: https://www.elevatedabaconsulting.com/ceus-professional-development

Our next online CEU event will be May 21st from 7:00-8:30pm and will be titled, "When Aggression Causes Real Harm: Practical, Function-Based Strategies for School Teams".

School-based teams are often expected to respond to aggressive behavior that can result in real harm to students, staff, or the learning environment.

While understanding function is critical, the greater challenge is developing responses and intervention plans that are both effective and feasible within real classroom conditions.

This training focuses on practical, function-based strategies that support teams in moving from immediate response to structured, classroom-ready intervention.

Participants will leave with clear, actionable approaches to improve safety, consistency, and implementation across school settings.

For more information and to sign up visit: [https://www.elevatedabaconsulting.com/upcomingceupage](https://www.elevatedabaconsulting.com/upcomingceupage)

I’m excited to be at the CoFABA Conference this year—and even more excited to be here as a sponsor!

Look forward to a great conference and some even better conversations!

A common supervision oversight:

We assume independence will happen.

But independence is something we have to plan for.

When reviewing programs or sessions, ask:
-Was independence defined?
-Were prompts systematically faded?
-Was independent responding reinforced?

If independence isn’t programmed, prompt dependency can develop quickly.

Independence doesn’t happen by chance—it’s built intentionally.

When a teacher ends up in the emergency room after being hit by a student, we need to be honest about what we’re really talking about.

This is happening in schools more than people realize.

After years of working with behavior teams, I’ve seen how complex these situations are—for staff, administrators, families, and the students themselves.

Too often, the response focuses on immediate consequences.

But if the goal is long-term behavior change, that alone usually isn’t enough.

Dr. Sara Dougherty wrote this piece reflecting on why we may need to rethink how schools respond to serious aggression.

This is also going to be the focus of our next CEU online event in May.

When Suspension Isn’t Enough: School Responses to Aggression | ElevatED ABA School-based perspective on student aggression and why suspension alone doesn’t lead to long-term behavior change. Learn function-based approaches for safer outcomes.

One of the biggest mistakes we make is waiting until a problem happens to teach what to do instead.

If your child struggles with:

Interrupting

Getting upset

Not knowing what to say

Practice during calm moments.

Try:
✔ Role-play common situations
✔ Model the exact words to use
✔ Practice multiple times
✔ Reinforce effort

Skills are easier to learn before they’re needed.

One of the most powerful skills kids can learn?
👉 Understanding what their body is telling them.

This week, we worked on helping kids connect:
Body clues → Feelings → Triggers

Because before behavior happens, the body is already sending signals—like a fast heartbeat, tight muscles, or that “uh oh” feeling in your stomach.

When kids learn to notice those early clues, they’re much more able to:
•Manage big emotions
•Handle frustration
•Pause before reacting
•Understand how others might feel in the same situation

And the best part?
This is something you can start practicing at home right away.

Try asking:
•“What is your body doing right now?”
•”What do you think caused that feeling?”
•“Could someone else feel something different here?”

These small conversations build big awareness over time 💛

Big feelings don’t start with behavior—they start in the body.

This week in our social skills groups, we focused on something really important:
👉 noticing body clues and understanding what causes our feelings.

We talked about how our bodies give us signals before big emotions take over—like a fast heartbeat, tight muscles, or that “uh oh” feeling in your stomach.

Then we connected those clues to triggers (what caused the feeling) and practiced noticing:
•How we feel when things go our way
•How we feel when they don’t
•And how other people might feel in the same situation

We even practiced this during a game—because let’s be honest… that’s where REAL emotions show up 😅

One of the biggest takeaways:
👉 The same situation can feel completely different depending on the person—and that’s okay.

These are the skills that help kids handle frustration, build awareness, and navigate social situations with more confidence 💪