Mentorship, School Consultation, & the BMBA Conference with Dr. Ajamu Nkosi

Episode Overview

• The podcast features an in-depth conversation with Dr. Ajamu Nkosi, a pioneering Black entrepreneur in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), exploring his 19-year journey of building a successful company.
• Dr. Nkosi details his "Behavioral Analytic Consultation to Schools" (BACS) model, emphasizing the critical role of experimental functional analysis to move beyond correlation and identify the true causes of behavior.
• The discussion covers the evolution of the ABA field, from a time before board certifications to the current landscape shaped by commercialization and insurance billing.
• A central theme is the importance of mentorship and representation, highlighted by the announcement of the first-ever Black Men in Behavior Analysis (BMBA) conference.

Key Concepts

• Entrepreneurship in ABA: The conversation explores the relentless "grind" and dedication required to build and sustain a business in the behavior analysis field, from its early days to the present.
• The Journey of a Black Professional: The discussion highlights the unique hurdles and experiences faced by Dr. Nkosi as a Black man establishing one of the first ABA consultation companies in Georgia.
• Behavioral Analytic Consultation to Schools (BACS): A systematic, step-by-step service delivery model for school settings that progresses from indirect assessment to direct observation and experimental analysis.
• Experimental Functional Analysis: Emphasized as the "gold standard" for scientifically determining the function of a problem behavior, as it moves beyond simple observation to test hypotheses through controlled experiments.
• Evolution of the ABA Field: The dialogue contrasts the early, science-focused days of ABA with the modern, commercialized landscape, noting the introduction of board certifications and the heavy influence of insurance billing.
• Mentorship Philosophy: The concept of mentorship is framed as a two-way street and a community responsibility, encapsulated by the principle of "each one, teach one."
• Diversity and Representation: The historical lack of diversity in ABA is discussed, underscoring the significance of the inaugural Black Men in Behavior Analysis (BMBA) conference as a landmark event.

Quotes

• At 0:02 - "You know, if you're the type of person that that really doesn't want to grind kind of constantly, you know, it may not be for you." - Dr. Nkosi elaborates on the intense commitment required for running a business.
• At 1:19 - "Our mission and vision here at Beyond the Science... is to amplify the voices of diverse individuals within the field of ABA." - Host Jeron Trotman reiterates the core purpose of the podcast.
• At 4:12 - "We started in 2005, so we in our 19th year... We're really the first, one of the first ABA-based consultation companies in Georgia." - Dr. Nkosi highlights the longevity and pioneering nature of his company, Southern Behavior Group.
• At 21:42 - "Students are not empty receptacles that we just deposit knowledge into. They already have information, and a good teacher is going to know how to facilitate and bring that out of them." - Dr. Nkosi explains that effective teaching and mentorship involve drawing out the knowledge a person already possesses.
• At 26:35 - "The only way to test a hypothesis is through conducting an experiment. And in behavior analysis, the experiment is functional analysis." - Dr. Nkosi emphasizes the importance of moving beyond observation to experimentally test hypotheses about problem behavior.
• At 27:28 - "People want what works... If you do this, you should get the same results." - On gaining buy-in from school staff, Dr. Nkosi explains that demonstrating the effectiveness and reliability of their methods is key.
• At 33:38 - "What we're really doing is we're replicating on a very, very small scale what's already happening... The conditions that are bringing about problem behaviors in your students or your child, they're already happening in the school." - Dr. Nkosi demystifies "experimentation" in a functional analysis, explaining it as a controlled observation of existing environmental variables.
• At 49:07 - "Just 'cause you own a business, that doesn't necessarily mean you're filthy rich either. You could just be doing really well." - Dr. Nkosi pushes back on the perception of automatic wealth from business ownership.
• At 51:17 - "You would go to these conferences and you would be the only Black male there, or Black individual there." - Dr. Nkosi describes the lack of representation in the field when he was starting out, underscoring the importance of the new BMBA conference.
• At 52:13 - "There wasn't a BCBA. There wasn't a board certification. It didn't exist." - Dr. Nkosi highlights how much the field of ABA has formalized over the years.
• At 56:19 - "It just goes back to that old saying in our community: each one, teach one. And that's what happened... I had others teach me, and I had a responsibility to show you and teach you." - Dr. Nkosi explains his philosophy on mentorship, emphasizing the duty to pass knowledge to the next generation.
• At 58:12 - "It's more or less kind of muddied the waters... because what's happening is people are being driven more and more by the insurance billing nowadays, whereas back when we started, we didn't have to worry about that." - Dr. Nkosi contrasts the early days of ABA with the current landscape influenced by commercial interests.
• At 1:00:04 - "I think that the quality of service is going to be impacted... it's becoming more of a business than it is healthcare sometimes." - A host expresses concern that financial incentives within ABA could compromise the quality of care.

Takeaways

• To succeed in entrepreneurship, adopt a mindset of constant effort and be prepared for a nonstop commitment to your business and mission.
• Approach mentorship and teaching by facilitating and drawing out a person's existing knowledge, rather than treating them as a passive recipient of information.
• Prioritize using experimental functional analysis to scientifically determine the root causes of behavior, leading to more precise and effective interventions.
• Gain buy-in for systematic approaches by demonstrating reliable, data-driven results that prove your methods work consistently.
• For experienced professionals, embrace the "each one, teach one" philosophy by actively mentoring and creating opportunities for the next generation in your field.
• Practitioners should remain vigilant that clinical decisions are driven by science and client needs, not by the pressures of insurance billing or commercial interests.
• Actively support and participate in initiatives that increase diversity and representation to help create a more inclusive and effective professional community.