They nodded. They said they understood. Then nothing changed.
Teaching a parent or an RBT® what to do is the part our training prepared us for. Getting them to actually do it when you're not in the room is a different skill — and it starts with knowing what they're moving toward and what they're moving away from.
Start the course
For BCBA®s who run parent training and supervision, and are tired of teaching the same strategy three times to someone who never uses it.
Our training taught us how to teach a skill. It said much less about getting anyone to use it.
- — A parent agrees to every recommendation in session and the home program looks the same next week.
- — You run full BST with an RBT®, they nod and say "yep, I know," then revert to what they were doing before.
- — A teacher reports a behavior you've never observed and won't collect data on it, so you can't justify support.
- — You've scheduled and rescheduled parent training sessions that produce almost nothing you can point to.
- — You're billing for a service that isn't changing what happens outside of your sessions.
- — It starts to feel like the parent doesn't care or the staff member is being difficult — and that read makes the next conversation harder.
What this course is — and isn't
This course is
- A five-step framework for communicating in a way that produces action, not just agreement
- A practical, learnable use of the ACT Matrix to understand what a parent or staff member values and what's in their way
- Three short lessons built around real cases — a parent, an RBT®, a teacher — carried from beginning to end
- A workbook you fill out for one specific person you're trying to reach right now
Worth knowing before you start
- Using the ACT Matrix this way is an assessment and communication tool, separate from delivering ACT as therapy
- The goal is understanding the other person well enough to teach them, and the course is explicit that this is never a technique for manipulating them
Why I built this
Early in my career I sat with a mother whose 10-year-old son had years of behavior behind him that scared her. I explained the ABCs of behavior. I explained it again. She shook her head and told me it was his diagnosis, and nothing I said moved her an inch.
What finally worked had nothing to do with explaining function better. I stopped and asked about what she actually wanted, and what was getting in the way. Once I understood where she was coming from, one sentence changed the direction of the case — and eventually she told me, in tears, that she'd finally enjoyed spending time with her son.
I spent years watching two supervisors do this well and badly, took a course in conjoint behavioral consultation, and kept tweaking. What came out of it is a framework I can teach.
Amelia Dalphonse, MA, BCBA, is co-founder of Master ABA and the creator of this course, with over 13 years in the field.
What kept happening: thorough training, full agreement in the room, and no change in the home or the session when I wasn't there.
What I built: Partnership Language — a repeatable way to find the shared goal, understand what's in the way, and frame the message so the other person has a reason to act.
Why it matters to me: no one likes being told what to do, especially when they don't understand the reason behind it.
The five steps of Partnership Language
The same sequence, whether you're working with a parent, an RBT®, a teacher, or your own family.
Determine your goal for the interaction — what action do you actually want, and what's the next conversation for.
Identify their goals and fears — what matters most to them, and what thoughts, beliefs, or memories get in the way.
Assess their behaviors — what they do to move toward what they value, and what they do to get relief.
Practice perspective taking — notice your own biases and build more than one hypothesis for their behavior.
Use messaging that motivates — align with their values, use language they relate to, and teach with stories.
The ACT Matrix, in four questions
Think of it as a brief functional assessment of the adult you're trying to reach. Four quadrants, four questions, and a picture of why your last three recommendations went nowhere.
The values and people driving them — including the ones you can build a shared mission around.
The difficult thoughts, feelings, and memories standing between them and what they value.
The observable behaviors that move them away from the hard stuff — often the ones you've been trying to change.
What they already do, or could do, that moves them toward what matters — your best point of entry.
What you'll be able to do by the end
Walk into a parent training session with a goal for the conversation, not just a goal from the treatment plan.
Draw out someone's values and obstacles through ordinary conversation, without an interrogation.
Catch your own fundamental attribution error before it decides what kind of person you're dealing with.
Build several hypotheses for why an RBT® isn't using the intervention, then ask better questions to narrow them.
Translate ABA jargon into language a parent or teacher can act on, using the "it's kind of like" bridge.
Reframe what you want into a result the other person actually wants, so the strategy sticks when you leave.
What's included
The course, the tools to apply it, and four bonuses — all at one price.
The Partnership Language framework, the ACT Matrix, and messaging that motivates movement — broken up so you can fit them into a real week.
Brief, activity-based, and built around one person you pick at the start — removes the gap between watching the course and using it.
An RBT® who won't run NET, a parent who won't limit reinforcer access, a teacher who won't collect data — each one taken through all five steps.
Downloadable in each lesson, with citations for the research discussed.
Released after you complete the lesson quizzes and the final quiz — add your BCBA® number to your account first.
Plus four bonuses included with your purchase
For the moments where the framework meets a staff member who isn't budging.
The specific objections that come up in parent training, and how to respond without a power struggle.
A working look at Master ABA's structured supervision curriculum.
A working look at Master ABA's parent training curriculum.
What BCBA®s say about this course
Reviews from people who've taken Enhancing Interactions.
"This course was GREAT! Not only do you experience the ACT Matrix but also get to 'see' it put together with numerous examples showing how it helps you help families."
"I learned to apply ACT principles to strengthen relationships with staff, fostering better communication, empathy, and collaboration... Highly recommended for anyone seeking to elevate their leadership skills and nurture positive workplace relationships."
"Great real life examples."
Enhancing Interactions
Less than the cost of one more parent training session that changes nothing.
Who this is built for
This is for you if
- You run parent training and want it to change something outside your sessions
- You supervise RBT®s who know the procedure and still don't use it
- You consult in schools and need teachers to work with you rather than around you
- You want a repeatable process instead of hoping the right words come to you in the moment
Come in knowing
- The framework takes practice — the course is upfront that this becomes natural over months, not in one sitting
- It asks you to work with private events, which may feel unfamiliar if you stay strictly with observable behavior
Questions before you start
Do I need to know ACT to take this course?
No. There's a lot that goes into implementing ACT in therapy, but using the ACT Matrix the way this course teaches it is quick to learn and the lessons build it from scratch. Additional resources are linked if you want to go deeper.
Does this only apply to parent training?
The same framework is used throughout for parents, RBT®s, and teachers, and the examples run in parallel so you can see it applied to each. It works anywhere you're trying to teach someone something you want them to use when you're not there.
Is this a way to get people to do what I want?
The course draws a hard line here. The point of understanding someone's values and obstacles is to teach them more effectively and build a real partnership — and there are places in the lessons where that understanding should change your goal rather than your tactics.
How do I get my CEU certificate?
Watch each lesson through to the end and pass its short quiz, then complete the quiz in the Mission Accomplished lesson. Update your BCBA® number in your account before that final quiz so your certificate populates correctly.
How long does it take?
Three lessons, worth 2 BACB General CEUs. The second lesson is the longest and carries the heart of the ACT Matrix content.
Pick one person you've been trying to reach.
For BCBA®s ready to stop repeating themselves and start building a partnership that outlasts the session.
Start the course — $35