A blog by ExcelLearning & ExcelPrep
More Than
ABA
“ABA is a theory. What we do with it drives identity.”
Evidence-based insights for families, practitioners, and educators navigating ABA, special education, dyslexia, and the full experience of raising and teaching neurodiverse children.
ABA is a theory. What we do with it drives identity.
Collaboration means More than ABA.
The More Than ABA blog explores what happens when behavior science, education, clinical practice, and family come together — where collaboration between disciplines, and between providers and families, produces outcomes no single approach can achieve alone.
Evidence-based.
Family-centered.
Practitioner-honest.
More Than ABA is the blog home of the Excel Family of Programs — written by BCBAs, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, special educators, and the families they serve.
We write about what the research says. We write about what actually works in a classroom or a clinic or a kitchen at 7am. We write about the hard questions — and the ones nobody asks enough.
Because children are more than their diagnoses, and the adults supporting them deserve more than a checklist.
ABA that generalizes
What does it mean when a skill only works in the therapy room? We explore what generalization really requires — and how families drive it.
Dyslexia, reading, and what schools miss
Direct Instruction, Precision Teaching, the science of reading — and why so many kids who can learn aren’t being taught the right way.
The family experience
IEP meetings, waitlists, school referrals, parent training — honest writing about what families actually go through.
Practitioner development
RBTs, BCBAs, teachers, SLPs, and OTs — how we grow, how we support each other, and how we stay in this work long-term.
Our Readers
Written for everyone
in the room.
Families & Caregivers
Parents, grandparents, foster families — anyone navigating diagnosis, school placement, therapy decisions, or the daily experience of raising a neurodiverse child. We write for you first.
Practitioners
BCBAs, RBTs, SLPs, OTs, behavior specialists — clinicians looking for evidence-based perspective, supervision support, and honest writing about the work from people doing it alongside you.
Educators & Districts
Special education teachers, SPED coordinators, school administrators — the people making placement decisions, writing IEPs, and trying to build systems that actually serve neurodiverse students.
Blog Categories
Find what you need.
Category 1
ABA Beyond the Clinic
How ABA works in homes, schools, and communities — not just therapy rooms. Generalization, natural environment teaching, and what it means to embed behavior science into real life.
What generalization actually requires from families
ABA Jumpstart: why waiting doesn’t have to mean standing still
Group ABA: when and why it works
Parent collaboration meetings — twice a month, not once a quarter
Category 2
For Families
The honest guide to IEP meetings, school referrals, therapy waitlists, and the decisions no one prepares you to make. Practical, plain-language writing from clinicians who work with families every day.
How to ask for an out-of-district placement
What “1.5 grade levels behind” actually means
Reading the room: understanding your child’s IEP data
When school isn’t working — and what to do about it
Category 3
For Practitioners
Clinical supervision, RBT development, BCBA program writing, data systems, and the ongoing work of staying effective and avoiding burnout in behavior analysis and special education.
10–20% supervision: what it means in practice
Using SOAR data books to drive program decisions
Side-by-side mentorship: the model that actually builds staff capacity
When to modify a program — and how to know
Category 4
School + Therapy
What happens when ABA, OT, and speech therapy share goals — and what gets lost when they don’t. The integrated model at ExcelLearning, and why coordination is a clinical outcome, not a logistical nicety.
Shared goal banks: how OT, ST, and ABA write together
The SWIS model — bringing ExcelCore into your school
Why the 8-week cycle works better than ongoing weekly therapy
School vs. clinical: when your child needs both
Category 5
Dyslexia + Learning Differences
Direct Instruction, Precision Teaching, the science of reading, dyscalculia, ADHD, and the systemic reasons so many kids who can learn aren’t getting what they need.
What Celeration data tells us that grades don’t
Dyslexia without a diagnosis: what parents can do now
Dyscalculia and the math instruction gap
Why “grade level” is the wrong target
Category 6
Research + Evidence
What the literature actually says — written accessibly for families and practitioners alike. Motor learning, speech acquisition, ABA intensity research, and the science behind ExcelLearning’s clinical model.
Massed practice and why the 3-week home program isn’t a break
The dosage question: how much ABA is enough?
What the Hodson Cycles Approach teaches us about intensity
Precision Teaching: the evidence behind the Standard Celeration Chart
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Hello World!
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Latest Posts
What we’re writing about.
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ABA Beyond the Clinic
ABA Jumpstart: Why Waiting Doesn’t Have to Mean Standing Still
Families on a waitlist for ABA services lose weeks — sometimes months — of potential progress. Here’s what ABA Jumpstart does, who it’s for, and what two weeks can actually accomplish.
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Dyslexia + Learning
What “1.5 Grade Levels Behind” Actually Means
The benchmark is used in IEPs and placement decisions, but most parents have never had it explained. Here’s what the research says.
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For Practitioners
Side-by-Side Mentorship: The Model That Actually Builds Staff Capacity
Why HOW and WHAT training delivered on the job is the formula that addresses teacher burnout in special education.
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