In this episode of Behaviour Speak, host Ben Reiman speaks with Sarah Elkami Trdina, Lina Pezzo Szodo, and Camila Grullon from Always Connected Treatment Network (ACTN) about an innovative partnership with Mississauga Fire.
The conversation explores how behaviour analysts and fire safety professionals collaborated to create accessible fire safety education for neurodivergent children, youth, and families. The guests discuss caregiver workshops, desensitization protocols for smoke alarms, emergency preparedness training, and strategies for teaching potentially life-saving skills using behaviour analytic principles.
The episode also highlights the importance of cross-sector collaboration, community engagement, and creating practical resources that can be shared across organizations, schools, and emergency services.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xGxFs-8ofr4
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Question 1
Sarah described how many larger fire safety skills are actually made up of smaller prerequisite skills. Which of the following was discussed as an example of a prerequisite skill involved in successful fire evacuation?
A. Learning to identify all fire truck equipment
B. Following instructions during an emergency
C. Learning firefighter rank structures
D. Understanding municipal fire codes
Question 2
What behaviour analytic strategy did the ACTN team describe for helping learners become more comfortable with smoke alarms?
A. Overcorrection
B. Response cost
C. Desensitization through gradual exposure to alarm sounds
D. Token economies only
Question 3
During the episode, Camila shared that behaviour analysis is still emerging in the Dominican Republic. Approximately how many behaviour analysts did she estimate were practicing in the country when she completed her supervision hours?
A. About 5
B. About 25
C. About 100
D. About 500
Contact
Always Connected Treatment Network
https://alwaysconnectedtn.ca/
Sarah Elkami Tridina
https://www.linkedin.com/in/elkamisarah/
Camilla Grullon
https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilagrullon/
Lina Pezzo Szodo
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lina-pezzo-szodo-39127b146/
Links:
The September 26th Project
https://september26.org/
Ontario Municipal Fire Prevention Officers Association
https://omfpoa.com/
PECS Canada Fire Safety Resources
https://pecs-canada.com/blog/teaching-fire-safety-messages-to-aac-users/
https://pecs-canada.com/n-i-c-k-for-fire-and-burn-safety/
Caribbean Association For Behaviour Analysis
https://caribbeanba.org/