1 General Type CEU
The ACT of Collaboration: Using the ACT Matrix to Empower Parents
Tired of Battling with Parents? Discover the Secret to Building Powerful Collaborations
Instructor: Amelia Dalphonse, MA, BCBA
Amelia Dalphonse, MA, BCBA
Why is The ACT of Collaboration essential to your career as a BCBA®?
Imagine you’re a home-based BCBA® assigned to work with a new client, a 5 year old girl. You call her father to schedule a time to do the initial assessment and he’s angry that you want to come to the house. He wants to bring her into the office and is adamant that he won’t allow the assessment to happen at home.
He’s belligerent and condescending. His voice is raised and you can feel your physical reaction to him.
This is not the way you want to start building a relationship with a parent, but it’s out of your hands, right? You need to observe the child in her natural environment and there isn’t even an office for him to bring her to.
What do you do? Stand your ground? Refuse to provide services?
If you think this example is exaggerated, it’s not. This is exactly what happened to me. Our interactions even went downhill from there. It was so bad that I had my phone out as I drove down the driveway to their house in the woods, prepared to dial 911 if something seemed off as I approached.
How many similarly challenging situations with parents have you experienced? Maybe it wasn’t as extreme as this, but there are always parents that you dread talking to or who you just can’t motivate. It’s unavoidable, right?
While it’s impossible to directly change anyone’s behavior, you can alter your approach to these parents if you can understand where the behavior comes from (sound familiar?). That’s what this course will do – give you the tools you need to create a collaborative relationship right from the beginning of treatment.
What you will learn:
Master the ACT Matrix
Use this tool to collaboratively set goals and create actionable steps with parents.
Implement LAFF Don't CRY
Use positive communication strategies to build rapport and navigate challenging conversations.
Boost Parent Engagement
Empower parents to actively participate in their child's ABA program and promote generalization.
Improve Communication
Bridge cultural gaps and navigate diverse communication styles.
Reduce Conflict
Minimize disagreements and create a collaborative environment with parents.
Build Confidence
Gain skills and confidence to navigate challenging parent interactions and advocate for the child.
What’s Included with The ACT of Collaboration?
Strong collaboration between BCBAs® and parents is crucial for successful ABA programs. This course equips BCBA® professionals with the ACT Matrix and LAFF don’t CRY methods to:
Build trust and rapport with parents, fostering open communication and engagement in the program.
Facilitate a shared understanding of the child’s behavior and the factors influencing it.
Empower parents to become active participants in implementing interventions at home, leading to better generalization of skills.
Reduce conflict and frustration, creating a more positive and collaborative environment for everyone involved.
By improving collaboration with parents, BCBA® professionals can significantly enhance treatment outcomes and improve the child’s overall quality of life.
Don’t Let Your Relationships with Parents become an Obstacle
Do you find yourself frustrated when working with parents? Are you longing for smoother communication and more genuine partnerships for the best interests of the child? As an educator, building strong parent collaborations is key to student success, but it can be incredibly challenging:
Missed Opportunities for Change: You leave those meetings feeling like there’s little buy-in for at-home support or that the necessary steps for real improvement aren’t fully understood.
Communication Breakdowns: Language barriers, cultural differences, or simply differing communication styles create misunderstandings that erode trust.
Feeling Overwhelmed and Under-Resourced: You lack the specific tools and frameworks to navigate these difficult conversations, leaving you feeling frustrated and wondering if true parent partnership is even possible.
But the problem’s even worse than that! Poor relationships with parents can lead to:
Constant Conflict: You spend more time managing disagreements and tension with parents than focusing on the child’s progress. This emotional drain takes its toll.
Misaligned Goals: Parents and educators seem to have different priorities or focus, leading to frustrating delays in implementing effective support strategies.
Stagnant Meetings: Traditional parent-teacher conferences feel like one-sided reports where parents become passive listeners rather than active participants in their child’s learning.
Trusted ACE Instructors Approved through the BACB
Quality Assurance You Can Trust: All of our instructors are certified Authorized Continuing Education (ACE) providers through the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB). This ensures that our CEU courses meet the rigorous standards set by the BACB and qualify for CEU credits towards maintaining your BCBAs’® certifications.
See what people are saying about The ACT of Collaboration
This is an exceptionally helpful course laid out in clear instructions with real world examples. Highly recommend!
Natalie Y.
Relevant, well explained, great resources.
Susan T.
Act now, and you can get The ACT of Collaboration – plus get these exclusive bonuses!
Meet the Instructor
Amelia Dalphonse, MA, BCBA
Amelia Dalphonse, MA, BCBA, co-founded Master ABA with her twin sister, Dianna Kelly, bringing over 13 years of expertise in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). Passionate about prioritizing client needs, Amelia earned a Master’s degree in ABA and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA®).
At Master ABA, Amelia and Dianna lead with innovation, emphasizing client-centered care to drive meaningful change. As an ACE provider, they’ve established the institution as a hub for progressive ABA practices, inspiring others to adopt compassionate and ethical approaches.
Through her role at Master ABA, Amelia advocates for advancing the ABA field with empathy and integrity. She stays abreast of the latest research, continuously seeking opportunities for professional growth.
