ABA Inside Track Ep. 324: "Behavioral Artistry Revisited" w/ Dr. Amy Bukszpan

Release Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Robert (Rob) Perry Crews with co-hosts Diana Perry Cruz, Zach, Jackie
Guest: Dr. Amy Bukszpan (Bookspan)
Theme: Revisiting, defining, and operationalizing "behavioral artistry" in applied behavior analysis (ABA), focused on Dr. Bukszpan’s applied research and strategies for teaching soft skills in practice.

Episode Overview

This episode revisits the concept of behavioral artistry, exploring its origins, characteristics, and modern-day applications in ABA. In dialogue with Dr. Amy Bukszpan—foremost researcher in this area—the hosts discuss how these "soft skills" can be defined, taught, and maintained in real-world practice, moving beyond theoretical discussion to applied research. The conversation also touches on broader implications, operational challenges, and directions for future research.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Record Straight & Introduction to the Topic

• Dr. Bukszpan reflects on hearing the original ABA Inside Track episode about behavioral artistry, feeling "delighted, excited, and seething" at both the growing interest in and occasional missteps about her work, particularly the mispronunciation of her name (02:06).
  • “In a future errata”—Rob, addressing the previous correction (02:47)
• The concept’s origins trace mainly to Richard Fox’s 1985 Jack Tizzard lecture, focusing on why some practitioners have an "X factor" that makes programs more effective (06:39).

2. Defining 'Behavioral Artistry' – Past and Present

Original Seven Characteristics (Fox, 1985, as summarized by Dr. Bukszpan at 16:32):

• Sense of humor
• Liking people
• Celebrating small victories
• Being optimistic
• Being persistent
• Not internalizing or being subjective
• Doing "whatever is necessary" to facilitate behavior change

Bukszpan notes the importance of re-examining and possibly updating the language and emphasis of these characteristics for modern contexts:

• “I think optimism still rings true for me. I think you have to be optimistic...” —Dr. Bukszpan (18:19)

3. Behavioral Artistry vs. 'Soft Skills' and Compassionate Care

• There’s overlap – behavioral artistry is essentially part of the larger umbrella of soft skills within ABA (20:44).
• The challenge is moving from “we know it when we see it” to operational definitions and methods for teaching.

4. From Theory to Research: Teaching Behavioral Artistry

Why move beyond discussion?

• “If it doesn't somehow wind up in the practitioner's hands and we can't get it there, that's not where my heart desire lives.”—Dr. Bukszpan (04:58)
• Bukszpan shares her journey from practitioner to researcher, highlighting the lack of research on how to teach these "natural change agent" skills.

Articles Discussed:

• 2023: "Training Behavior Technicians to Become Behavior Artists through the Teaching Interaction Procedure"
• 2025: "Utilizing the Teaching Interaction Procedure to Train Special Education Teachers in Behavioral Artistry"

5. Operationalizing and Teaching Behavioral Artistry

a. Component Analysis and Definition Development:

• Started by compiling every soft skill article and real-world observation available to create behavioral definitions.
• Shifted from tightly controlled, population-specific definitions to broader, more flexible operationalizations as her research focus expanded (24:28).

b. Teaching Method: TIP (Teaching Interaction Procedure) vs. BST (Behavior Skills Training)

• Why TIP?
  • TIP uniquely incorporates an individualized rationale tailored for the learner, theorized to increase buy-in and meaningful change (37:57).
  • “When we tie that rationale in, it did become purposeful. And we know that because of the social validity responses...” —Dr. Bukszpan (41:10)
• TIP procedure steps: Observation, rationale, defining the skill, modeling, role-play, feedback, and shifting to real observations for mastery and maintenance (51:29, 52:38).

c. Maintenance & Generalization

• Integrating behavioral coaches (BCBAs at the sites) as trainers, not outside researchers, both improved maintenance and made rationales more relevant (42:13–45:10).
• Organic generalization: Teachers successfully applied artistry skills beyond morning meetings into academic content (72:05–73:17).

6. Measurement Challenges and Flexible Science

• Acknowledges "cruddy IOA" (interobserver agreement)—mid-80s%—but emphasizes the necessity of flexibility for social validity and soft skill training (45:59).
  • “If we’re curating a science that can save the world, we have to be a little flexible at the end of the day.” —Dr. Bukszpan (46:56)
• Emphasizes the need for sloppiness/variability in these definitions to avoid teaching empty, rote responses (59:58, 61:07).

7. Notable Research Outcomes & Social Validity

• Participants described increased enjoyment and reinvigoration of teaching:
  • “I wanted to quit this job or I was burned out so bad and just doing this, doing this training got me so excited.”—Rob paraphrasing teacher feedback (54:09)
• Positive trickle-down effects: Better teacher engagement correlated with more and higher-quality student responding, though this data remains to be formally published (55:00).

8. Future Directions & Dissemination

• Dr. Bukszpan’s further projects: Merging artistry with compassionate care assessment, application to diverse settings (master’s students, sports coaching).
• Hopes for research across populations, including leadership, paraprofessionals, sports coaches, and in broader educational journals (65:53, 69:14).
• Challenges in publishing artistry research outside ABA journals due to perceived "too behavioral" focus, despite educational relevance (69:14).
• “Would I love to go through and define all seven pieces and teach them? Absolutely. … I do think that there’s a training package here and a curriculum. And I am working on a greater piece on that presently.” —Dr. Bukszpan (65:53)

Standout Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the difficulty of measurement:
  “What could be a smile for me could be a grimace for somebody else ... I think we have to become more flexible in these definitions … Are we in the ballpark?” (58:12, 59:58)
• On optimism:
  “Fox always said, like, looking for the pony … when we lose the optimism along with celebrating those small victories is when we're doubting the abilities of the individuals we're working with...” (18:19)
• On moving from theory to practice:
  “Why sit and wait and just keep talking about it rather than getting some action behind it and doing it?” (22:21)
• On social validity:
  “They were excited to actually see me. … They didn't cringe when they saw me. Which tells you a lot about what they thought about the out. … being part of it as a participant.” (73:17)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Topic | |---|---| | 02:06 | Dr. Bukszpan’s Reaction to First Episode | | 06:23 | Origins of Behavioral Artistry (Fox, 1985) | | 16:32 | Defining the Seven Characteristics | | 18:19 | Adapting Definitions for Modern Practice | | 20:44 | Behavioral Artistry vs. 'Soft Skills' | | 24:28 | Developing Operational Definitions | | 37:57 | Why TIP Procedure? Motivation and Individualization | | 51:29 | Practical Steps in Teacher Training (TIP Implementation) | | 54:09 | Teacher Social Validity, Burnout, and Engagement Results | | 58:12 | Measurement Dilemmas: Soft Skills & Flexibility | | 65:53 | Future Research Directions & Applications | | 69:14 | Publishing Behavioral Artistry Research Beyond ABA | | 72:05 | Generalization of Skills Across Activities | | 73:17 | Real-world Maintenance and Teacher Attitudes Post-Study |

Notable Quotes (with Speaker & Timestamp)

• Dr. Amy Bukszpan (18:19):
  “I think optimism still rings true for me. … When we lose the optimism along with celebrating those small victories is when we're doubting the abilities of the individuals we're working with or the individuals we're supervising.”

• Rob Perry Crews (54:09) (paraphrasing social validity feedback):
  “At least two responses that were like, I wanted to quit this job or I was burned out so bad and just doing this, doing this training got me so excited.”

• Dr. Amy Bukszpan (22:21):
  “Why sit and wait and just keep talking about it rather than getting some action behind it and doing it?”

• Dr. Amy Bukszpan (46:56):
  “If we’re curating a science that can save the world, we have to be a little flexible at the end of the day.”

• Diana Perry Cruz (63:03):
  “Because it's not the topography of the behavior, it's the function. And it, and it has to do with the relationship that you're establishing there.”

Conclusion

The episode delivers a deep, insightful look into the applied science of behavioral artistry in ABA, with Dr. Amy Bukszpan illustrating not only how these "soft skills" can be defined and taught, but also why adapting our research methods—and expectations—to the variability of human interaction is both pragmatic and essential. The TIP procedure emerges as a flexible, context-sensitive way to teach and generalize behavioral artistry, offering practical value for practitioners aiming to make meaningful change. Dr. Bukszpan’s call to action: keep refining, researching, and disseminating artistry training for the benefit of the field and those it serves.

Resources & Further Reading

• Dr. Bukszpan’s work & contact:
  • behavioralartistry.com
  • Email: a.bukspan.mail@gmail.com
  • Podcast: Skinner’s Locker Room
• Key Research Articles:
  • "Utilizing the Teaching Interaction Procedure to Train Special Education Teachers in Behavioral Artistry" (Bukszpan et al., 2025)
  • "Training Behavior Technicians to Become Behavior Artists through the Teaching Interaction Procedure" (Bukszpan et al., 2023)
• Related ABA Inside Track Episodes:
  • Ep. 294: Original Behavioral Artistry Episode
  • Ep. 287/214: Compassionate Care for Trainees
  • Ep. 111: Behavior Analytic Language
  • Ep. 245: Rapport Building
  • Ep. 6: Pre-session Pairing

“We have to become more flexible in these definitions … Are we in the ballpark?” —Dr. Amy Bukszpan (59:58)

For practitioners, leaders, and educators interested in true artistry in ABA: remember, it's not just about knowing what to do—it's about bringing the humanity, optimism, and connection that make change possible.