ABOUT THIS EPISODE
ABA training breaks down when it treats fieldwork like a checkbox instead of a skill-building system. Allyson Wharam, founder and CEO of Sidekick Learning, shares a smarter way to design supervision and competency development so learners actually build confidence and skill.
With Ally, Christina Torres and Nicole Stewart dig into why so many supervisees struggle through ABA fieldwork, what gets lost when training focuses on the exam, and h
Key Topics:
- Common barriers to effective BCBA fieldwork opportunities
- Why ABA training often fails to build real-world competence
- The gap between exam prep and clinical readiness
- How retrieval practice and frequent responding improve learning
- Why supervision time should focus on application, not lectures
- Breaking complex ABA skills into teachable parts
- Helping trainees connect data, graphs, and decision-making
About Allyson Wharam:Allyson Wharam, Ed.D., BCBA, is the Founder and CEO of Sidekick Learning, an integrated learning platform focused on improving training, supervision, and competency development in ABA organizations.She earned her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on instructional design and technology from the University of Virginia and has over a decade of experience in the field. Her work centers on helping organizations move beyond seat time to real skill development, drawing on both behavior analysis and learning science to support clinicians and supervisors in building more effective, practical, competency-based training systems.She also hosts In the Field: The ABA Podcast, where she explores supervision, training, and leadership in behavior analysis.
Find Allyson and Sidekick Learning:
- Linked In: Allyson Wharam
- Instagram: Sidekick Learning
- Website: Sidekick Learning
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Season 3 of Reinforcing Conversations is made possible with support from the New England Center for Children — for over 50 years, the worldwide leader in autism education and research. Through their schools, clinics, consulting services, and the ACE ABA Software System, they are shaping a more inclusive future for all. Learn more at necc.org.
Keywords: BCBA supervision, ABA fieldwork, instructional design, ABA training, competency development, supervisee support, RBT training, clinical supervision, learning science, retrieval practice, graph review, behavior analysis
