In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sit down with Nicole Stewart, BCBA, to talk about what ADHD really looks like in kids and adults, and why it's so often overlooked in clinical work. Nicole brings over 15 years of experience in the field. She now runs a private practice offering therapy, parent coaching, and ADHD-focused training for organizations, after years of clinical work that included time at the New England Center for Children and as a clinical director.

We get into Nicole's perspectives on what ADHD actually is on a neurobiological level, why it's so often masked or misdiagnosed (especially in girls), and why pairing and rapport, not bigger reinforcers, are usually the real lever for behavior change. We also talk about how organizations can build ADHD aware training and supervision systems for staff, not just clients.

Key Topics:

ADHD as a Neurobiological Difference, Not Just a Behavior Pattern: Why ADHD comes down to how the brain regulates dopamine, how that shapes prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia development, and why understanding the neurology changes how we individualize treatment.

Masking and Missed Diagnoses: Why girls with inattentive ADHD are so often overlooked when "behavioral contrast" between home and school leads to under-diagnosis, and what that masking actually costs kids emotionally.

Executive Functioning, Defined: Nicole breaks down executive functioning as "the CEO of the brain" and explains why a child's executive functioning age can lag years behind their chronological age, creating mismatched expectations.

Emotional Regulation and the Fight or Flight Connection: How a highly sensitive nervous system response can turn something small (a bump in the hallway) into a major escalation, and why teaching emotional recognition has to come before teaching coping skills.

Skill Deficit vs Performance Deficit: Why ADHD related "noncompliance" is so often misread as a skill issue or simple defiance when it's actually a performance deficit driven by interest, novelty, or response effort.

Pairing Over Bigger Reinforcers: Why a strong, conditioned relationship with the learner is the single most effective ADHD strategy Nicole has found, more impactful than denser reinforcement schedules or larger rewards.

Supporting Staff with ADHD, Not Just Clients: How clinical supervisors can apply universal design for learning to staff trainings, and why clear contingencies, written follow-ups, and flexible scheduling support BCBAs® and RBTs® who are themselves neurodivergent.

Key Takeaways:

• ADHD is a medical and neurobiological condition, not just a set of behaviors to extinguish.
• Masking can delay diagnosis, especially in girl, leaving real struggles invisible.
• Corrective feedback disproportionately affects kids with ADHD, often four to five times more than their peers, fueling shame and avoidance over time.
• Pairing and rapport outperform bigger reinforcers or denser schedules when working with ADHD learners.
• Universal design for learning benefits every learner and every staff member, not only those with ADHD.
• Skill deficits and performance deficits require different solutions, and ADHD often hides as the latter.
• Organizational training on ADHD, alongside autism and other comorbid diagnoses, improves individualization across the board.

Keywords:

ADHD, ABA and ADHD, Executive Functioning, Emotional Regulation, Skill Deficit vs Performance Deficit, Pairing, Universal Design for Learning, Masking in Girls, Neurodivergent Staff, BCBA® Supervision, RBT® Training, Nicole Stewart, Mom The Behaviorist, ADHD Coaching, Comorbid Diagnoses, ADHD in the Workplace

Connect with Nicole Stewart:

Website: nicolestewartbcba.com
Instagram: @mom_the_behaviorist
Podcast: Reinforcing Conversations
CEUs on ADHD: Search "Nicole Stewart" on BehaviorLive

Disclaimer:

BCBA®, BACB® [or any other BACB® trademark used] is/are registered to the Behavior Analytic Certification Board® BACB®. This website and products are not in any way sponsored by the BACB®.

All information and products are for educational purposes only.

In this episode of In the Field: The ABA Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Becky Eldridge, Ph.D. BCBA-D, researcher, and mentor with 17 years of experience in behavior analysis. Becky brings both personal passion and scholarly depth to the topic of mentorship, having completed her dissertation on clinical decision making for BCBAs and having witnessed firsthand what happens when new behavior analysts enter the field without adequate support. We dig into what mentorship actually is, how it differs from supervision, and why that distinction matters so much for new BCBAs who are trying to find their footing.

Key Topics:

Supervision vs. Mentorship: Not all support looks the same. Supervision is often tied to performance outcomes that may serve an organization. Mentorship centers on you. Your goals, your values, and what is meaningful to you. Knowing the difference can change who you turn to and when.

Finding the Right Fit in a Mentor: Trust matters, but so does experience. Becky recommends Brené Brown's BRAVING Inventory as a starting point for evaluating fit, and emphasizes finding someone who has actually navigated the situations you are facing.

Internal vs. External Mentorship: Becky makes a strong case for seeking mentorship outside your organization, especially early in your career. When competing contingencies exist between what is good for you and what is good for the organization, true objectivity is hard to find internally.

What Mentorship Actually Looks Like: At its core, mentorship is about building self-management.

Formal vs. Informal Mentorship: Formal mentorship means dedicated time and a mutual commitment to showing up consistently. Informal mentorship happens more organically, through relationships that develop over time without a structured agreement.

Mentorship and the Evolution of the Field: The field has grown fast, and mentorship has not always kept up. Becky's advice is simple: stop waiting for it to find you. Get involved in your state chapter, go to your state conference, and meet people.

Key Takeaways:

• Supervision is about specific performance outcomes. Mentorship is about supporting your goals and your growth.
• A sponsor is someone who creates or advocates for opportunities you would not have had otherwise, and that role can be distinct from both supervisor and mentor.
• Trust is essential in a mentoring relationship, but experience matters just as much. Find someone who has done what you are trying to do.
• Seek external mentorship, especially early in your career, when you need perspective.
• Mentorship can be formal (dedicated time, clear expectations) or informal (opportunistic, reciprocal, peer-based). Both are valuable.
• If you are waiting for the perfect moment or the perfect person, stop waiting. People are people. Ask.

Resources Mentioned:

• Building and Sustaining Meaningful and Effective Relationships as a Supervisor and Mentor, by Dr. Linda LeBlanc, Dr. Tyra Sellers, and Dr. Shahla Ala'i-Rosales
• Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, including the BRAVING Inventory (available free on her website)

Connect with Dr. Becky Eldridge:

• LinkedIn: Becky Eldridge
• Website: https://beckyeldridge.com/

Keywords:

BCBA mentorship, ABA mentorship, supervision vs mentorship, clinical decision making ABA, new BCBA support, BCBA career growth, self-management behavior analysis, ABA leadership, fieldwork supervision, behavior analyst professional development, Becky Eldridge, In the Field ABA Podcast, Sidekick Learning

Disclaimer:

BCBA®, BACB® [or any other BACB® trademark used] is/are registered to the Behavior Analytic Certification Board® BACB®. This website and products are not in any way sponsored by the BACB®.

All information and products are for educational purposes only.