Do you value your personal lived experience as a professional?

Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong in the room?

During today’s meal - I speak with an RBT about his journey from raising 3 kids as a delivery driver to finding purpose, becoming an RBT, and getting his master’s degree in his 40s. We also talk about belonging, valuing lived experience, and the Santa Season.

~

Manuel “Manny” Garcia, M.A.S., RBT

Manny Garcia is a father of three, RBT, parent advocate, trainer, speaker, and behavior analyst in training whose path into behavioral science was definitely not traditional.

He grew up in Humboldt Park in Chicago and spent much of his life feeling like college, professional spaces, leadership, and even the idea of being “successful” belonged to other people. He didn’t enter college until he was 40.

Before ever working in ABA, Manny experienced disability, education, and service systems as a frustrated parent. He remembers sitting in meetings confused, not understanding the language, assuming the professionals must know what was best, getting frustrated, and sometimes resisting recommendations because nobody had really helped him understand what they meant.

Eventually, he got tired of feeling lost in systems that had such a huge impact on his children and wanted to understand them for himself.

At the time, there was no big career plan. He wasn’t even in school. He was raising his kids, driving Uber Eats, trying to make ends meet, and trying to figure out what came next.

He eventually entered college at 40, discovered behavioral science, became an RBT, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and started finding himself in rooms he never imagined being in.

Today his interests stretch beyond traditional ABA into parent advocacy, RBT development, training, father engagement, early intervention, education, workforce development, culture, access, and the larger systems that shape people’s opportunities.

Now at 45, Manny says he finally has something he never really had before: a sense of mission. A big part of that journey has been getting over his own fear, learning to trust himself, and realizing that his lived experience has value too.

~

Follow Manny!

LinkedIn: Manny Garcia

Instagram: @mannyincontext

Facebook: Manuel Garcia

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Review our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Apple Podcasts

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read excerpts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from the episode on my website

~

Behavior Bites is hosted by Rosie Jeffers, MAT, BCBA, LABA

Chat with me on Instagram!— ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rosie.eats.bx⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find my ethics CEUs & mentorship @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rosiebx.com⁠⁠

In-home ABA services on Cape Cod @ ⁠⁠rosiebehavior.com

Do you find yourself restricting or speaking negatively about food?

How often do you give up on a skill if you aren’t immediately perfect?

During today’s meal - I speak with a Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach about our hang ups around food, using behavior analysis for wellness coaching, the differences between BCBA clients and everyday health and wellness clients, and her favorite sourdough preparation.

~

Angela Tam, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Registered Behaviour Analyst (Ont.), National Board Certified Health and Wellness Coach, Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified

Angela is a Board Certified Health and Wellness coach, behaviour analyst, and founder of Flourish Onward. After over a decade in Autism services and navigating her own struggles with emotional eating, familial health crisis, busy motherhood, and an "all-or-nothing" mindset, she shifted her focus to help others transform their health.

Angela helps clients break free from the "starting over" cycle, make peace with food, build eating skills, and cultivate a healthy body image - no cauliflower rice or “just love every part of your body” required.

Outside of work, she is a proud mom of three, an amateur clarinetist, and a sourdough enthusiast. She trains in martial arts with her kids, proving daily that real health and fitness comes from eating enough for your life and roundhouse kicking diet culture out the door.

~

Follow Angela!

Instagram: @itscoachangela

Website: flourishonward.com

For those who are struggling with the logistics of feeding themselves:

The Meal Formula

For those who'd like to take a pulse check on their eating skills and identify potential areas of improvement:

The Eating Skills Reflection

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Review our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Apple Podcasts

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read excerpts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from the episode on my website

~

Behavior Bites is hosted by Rosie Jeffers, MAT, BCBA, LABA

Chat with me on Instagram!— ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rosie.eats.bx⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find my ethics CEUs & mentorship @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rosiebx.com⁠

In-home ABA services on Cape Cod @ ⁠rosiebehavior.com

Have you ever wondered what goes on during an ABA insurance audit?

How often do you focus on your documentation?

During today’s meal - I speak with a behavior analyst about valuing your time as a technician, insurance audits, being shy, international travel, and her favorite meals abroad.

~

Oanh 'Christina' Huynh, BCBA

Christina is a bilingual Vietnamese American BCBA from Houston, TX. She has been in the ABA field for 20 years working in various settings from in-home to the clinic setting and with various ages ranging from 18 months to 22 years old. She was recently working in the payor field as an auditor.

Christina is currently passionate about trauma informed care, international work, disseminating behavior analysis with regards to generational trauma, and authorizations. Besides talking about all things behavior analysis, Christina enjoys traveling, baseball, going to concerts and learning new languages.

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Follow Christina!

Instagram: @operantphonomenon

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Review our show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Apple Podcasts

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Read excerpts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠from the episode on my website

~

Behavior Bites is hosted by Rosie Jeffers, MAT, BCBA, LABA

Chat with me on Instagram!— ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@rosie.eats.bx⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find my ethics CEUs & mentorship @ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠rosiebx.com

In-home ABA services on Cape Cod @ rosiebehavior.com