Aurora Behavior Analysis

🚦 Don’t Be a Jerk
Episode 5: Sometimes Hope Whispers

We have a hoverboard at Aurora.

A lot of our kids like to ride it around the clinic, which is probably a sentence our insurance company would prefer we not put on Facebook and something our administration/ HR cringes at. 😂

One day... one of our kids wanted to ride too.

There were plenty of reasons to wonder whether it would work. He had some motor and coordination challenges, and a hoverboard certainly wasn't the easiest thing he could have chosen to try.

We didn't know if he could do it. We didn't promise him that he would be able to.

We just said... "Let's try.”

So he did.

At first, it looked exactly like you'd expect learning to ride a hoverboard to look.

It wasn't pretty.

But he had support, and he kept wanting to try.

And eventually (and honestly quicker than we did)... he learned.

He rode that hoverboard all over Aurora.

It would be easy to make this story about a hoverboard.

It isn't.

It's about the space between “I don't know if they can” and “they can't.”

As adults, we make decisions for children all day long.

Sometimes those decisions absolutely need to be based on safety, current skills, and what we know about the individual in front of us.

But sometimes (like a jerk), without realizing it, we turn what someone hasn't learned yet into something we assume they can't learn.

Those aren't the same thing.

We don't have to promise success. We don't have to pretend limitations don't exist.

We just have to be careful that we aren't creating limitations that don't need to be there.

Sometimes the best thing we can offer is an opportunity.

A little support.

And two words:

“Let's try.”

Because hope isn't always loud.

Sometimes hope whispers.

Personally, transparently, and honestly... sometimes the adults working with our kids need this reminder too.

Selfishly, I needed it today.

Sometimes we fall off the metaphorical hoverboard.

Sometimes, we're not even sure what our own capabilities are, much less whether we're capable of teaching someone else.

But most of the time, we can learn from our clients. (And, of course, from the evidence-based science.) 📈 🤓

So maybe this is your reminder too.

Sometimes—

dare I say, most of the time—

hope whispers,

"Let's try."

— The Aurora Team 💜

🚦 Don’t Be a Jerk

Episode 4: Trust Is Earned

Not too long ago, one of our kids would have run across the parking lot.

Fast.

Then, the day came when we made volcanoes.

Everyone was taking theirs outside, and he wanted to carry his out too.

We could have said no.

After all, we knew his history.

But we also knew something else.

We knew how far he had come.

We knew the skills he had built. We knew what we had seen from him lately. And we knew that at some point, if we wanted those skills to matter, he needed opportunities to use them.

So we walked outside with him.

And he carried his volcano right alongside everyone else.

Nothing dramatic happened.

And maybe that’s exactly the point.

Sometimes progress looks like a moment that would be completely ordinary for anyone else.

Behavioral history matters. We don't ignore risk because we want a feel-good moment. We use what we know about a person, their behavior, and the data in front of us to make thoughtful decisions about safety and support.

But history shouldn't become a permanent limitation either.

If we continue treating someone according to what they used to do, even after their behavior has changed, when do they ever get the opportunity to show us something different?

Trust isn't pretending risk doesn't exist.

It isn't lowering our guard because we're hopeful.

Trust is knowing someone well enough to recognize when they're ready for the next step.

And sometimes good clinical judgment means refusing to let yesterday's behavior become today's limitation.

Because if we're asking our kids to learn, grow, and change...

we have to be willing to change what we believe they're capable of too.

— The Aurora Team 💜

🚦 Don’t Be a Jerk
Episode 3: Apparently, We Needed a Car Wash

One day, one of our kids had an idea.

He wanted to build a car wash.

Not a pretend car wash sitting neatly at a table.

A car wash.

In the hallway.

With pool noodles, string, lights, tape, and whatever else he could convince us belonged in a car wash.

There were plenty of reasons to say no.

It was in the way (I clotheslined myself on it at least 3 times). It was going to make a mess. Other people needed the hallway. And it certainly wasn't what anyone had planned for therapy that day.

But instead of asking,

“How do we stop this?”

we asked,

“How do we make this work safely?”

And then something pretty cool happened.

There was planning.

Problem-solving.

Asking for materials. Waiting. Negotiating. Taking turns. Accepting changes when something didn't work. Trying again when things fell apart.

There were a whole lot of skills we work hard to teach at Aurora.

They just didn't look like therapy.

They looked like a car wash.

Good ABA doesn't require every learning opportunity to begin with an adult's idea.

Sometimes our kids show us exactly what matters to them, and our job is to figure out how to meet them there.

That doesn't mean every idea gets a yes.

Safety still matters. Other people's needs still matter. Boundaries still matter.

But “that's inconvenient” and “that's unsafe” aren't the same thing.

Sometimes the easiest answer for the adult is no.

Sometimes the better question is:

“How could we make this work?”

Because children don't always learn best when we interrupt their ideas.

Sometimes they learn best when we join them.

And that day?

Therapy looked like a car wash.

— The Aurora Team 💜

🚦 Don’t Be a Jerk
Episode 2: Take It With You

A few weeks ago, eight of our kids left the clinic and headed to the Children’s Museum.

They were kids getting ready to transition to school, and we wanted to know something important.

We already knew they could do these things at Aurora.

Could they do them somewhere else?

So we tested mastered skills in the car, at the museum, with different people, different distractions, and in a completely different environment.

And the skills still held.

We didn’t leave therapy behind that day.

We brought it with us.

Because eventually, we have to stop asking:

“Can they do it at Aurora?”

And start asking:

“Can they do it everywhere else?”

A skill that only happens in the therapy room isn’t finished yet.

Our kids have lives to live outside these walls. There are classrooms to learn in, museums to explore, restaurants to visit, friendships to build, communities to be part of, and a whole lot of life that will never look anything like a therapy room.

And they deserve the same opportunities to participate in those spaces, experience their communities, and be part of the world around them.

That’s why generalization matters.

Not because it looks good on a graph.

Because life is the goal.

We aren’t trying to build a life around therapy.

We’re trying to use therapy to help them build a life they love.

Generalization isn’t the last step of therapy. It’s the point of therapy.

— The Aurora Team 💜

🚦 Don't Be a Jerk

Episode 1: Why We're Finally Posting

(P.S. We're talking about people... not Soda Jerk. We love Soda Jerk. )

If you've followed Aurora for a while, you've probably noticed
something...

We don't post much.

Actually, we rarely post at all.

For years, that was intentional.

Our priority has always been taking care of the children and families we serve—not creating content.

And honestly... When you're not accepting new clients, advertising never felt quite right.

But we've realized something. Social media doesn't have to be about advertising.

It can be about education.

It can be about advocacy.

It can be about helping people better understand autism, behavior, and the incredible children and families we have the privilege of serving every day.

So we'd like to introduce ourselves.

We're Aurora Behavior Analysis.

We believe behavior analysis is both a science and a deeply human profession.

We believe you can be evidence-based and compassionate.

We believe children deserve to be taught with dignity, respect, and high expectations.

Around Aurora, we have an unofficial rule.

Don't be a jerk.

It sounds simple...

But it's one of the best clinical philosophies we know.

Over the next several weeks, we'll be sharing what that means through real-life situations we've encountered over the years.

Not to tell anyone they're doing it wrong.

Not to argue.

Not because we have all the answers.

Simply to share what we've seen over the years—and why we believe the little moments matter.

Because one belief guides everything we do:

Building relationships isn't separate from good ABA.

Building relationships is good ABA.

Welcome to Aurora.

We're glad you're here.

— The Aurora Team 💜

We can predict the future 🔮 ! (With enough data 🤣). But we think we love the warhawks and hope to see you more ULM! 💜

You may have caught us out and about!‼️Huge thank you to the The Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum for hosting us as we celebrated Aurora and Defy's birthday as well as the amazing kiddos who will be leaving the clinic setting to bigger adventures! We are so proud of our kids and staff and grateful to be part of this community 💜

We made friends! Thank you ULM Occupational Therapy Assistant Program and Savannah Stokes for giving us the opportunity to speak with and learn from your students. We cherish you guys and all the work you do changing lives 💜

Huge shout out to our new friend and colleague Katie with Aurora Behavior Analysis! The knowledge you imparted this week is priceless. We look forward to continued collaboration.

What an amazing opportunity to be around other brilliant and passionate entrepreneurs! We are so thankful to the Edward Lowe Foundation, LED, and all the staff and participants for this incredible experience. We’ll make you proud! Thank you 💜

Louisiana meets Big Rock Valley! This week 12 entrepreneurs from the Pelican State attended a kickoff retreat for the American Academy of Entrepreneurs, hosted in partnership with Louisiana Economic Development (LED). This program pairs entrepreneurs for six months, allowing them to process business challenges and share experiences.

Participants included Andrew Mauldin of Boogie Booth, Chad Guzzardo of Centurion Construction Management, Hailey Melancon of Atlas Feed Mill, Chris Smith of Lafeyette Marble & Granite, Jennifer Lingo of Loumis Air, Kyle Kent of Kent Design Build, Jerry Hebert of Extermatrim Exterminating, James Mendez of Arete Partners, Katie Boudloche of Aurora Behavior Analysis, Michelle Craig of Transcendent Law Group, Krystal Allen of K. Allen Consulting and Ben Johnson of Techneaux Technology Services.

We’d also like to thank our partner representatives, Maddie Duplantis and Tatiana Bruce of LED, as well as Tom Martin, our Entrepreneur Emeritus for this program!

Looking for more than just a job?

At Aurora Behavior Analysis, we believe in building careers that truly make an impact—on the lives of our clients, their families, and each other.

If you’re passionate, compassionate, and ready to grow with a supportive team, we’d love to meet you. 💜

Come be part of something meaningful.