The Black ABA community has long been underserved and underrepresented. But recent years have seen a surge in initiatives to empower black ABA practitioners and bring much-needed diversity to the field. In this episode, Sara Litvak and Anna Bullard are joined by Adrienne Bradley, President at Black Applied Behavior Analysts (BABA) and Tia Glover, Behavior Analyst and Healthcare Director. They speak about how Black ABAs have been underrepresented, why the ABA conference at Detroit has been invaluable, and BABA’s partnership with the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE) to benefit ABA professionals.

Adrienne Bradley, M.Ed., BCBA., LBA

Adrienne Bradley is Board Certified Behavior Analyst, graduate school

professor, and President on a mission to promote Applied Behavior

Analysis (ABA) to underserved communities. She graduated from Central

Michigan University, in 2014 with a Bachelors in Exercise Science, and a minor

in Psychology where she developed an interest in human behavior. It wasn't

until after her matriculation that she found a dire need to serve students with

an Autism diagnosis in the public school system. This is where her love for

ABA began. She later graduated from Wayne State University with a Master's in

Education Psychology, and a concentration in Applied Behavioral Analysis.

With her extensive experience working with children and adolescents within

the home, school, and clinic settings, she has garnered a commitment to

ethical leadership and high-quality therapeutic and parent training services.

She is a highly regarded speaker, focusing on using Acceptance and

Commitment training within parent sessions. Additionally, Adrienne serves as

the President for Black Applied Behavior Analysts, Inc, an organization that

empowers the Black ABA community and the co-host of Shades of ABA, a

podcast centering tough conversations to foster change and growth. She

engages in equity and inclusion research practices, serving as a research

consultant for the Michigan Interagency Coordinating Council which aims to

reduce barriers to accessing ABA services in the state of Michigan through the

development and implementation of a statewide, comprehensive,

multidisciplinary system to provide early intervention services for infants and

toddlers with disabilities and their families. She is a master collaborator and

bridge connector, using empathy and understanding to foster relationships

with the purpose of advancing the science of ABA.

Tia D. Glover, MPH, M.Ed, BCBA

Tia Glover serves as Regional Administrator for Devereux Advanced Behavioral

Health Florida. Mrs. Glover has worked in social services and community

behavioral health systems in the state of Florida for the past fourteen years. In

her current role as Regional Administrator, Mrs. Glover provides direct oversight of

Devereux Florida's Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Programs. Mrs. Glover

earned a Bachelor of Science in health care management and business, a Master

of Science in public health from Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University and a

master's in special education from the University of North Florida. She has been a

behavior analyst since 2016. Her contagious passion for those she serves has

resulted in community support for autism awareness and services offered

through Devereux Florida continuum of services. Mrs. Glover is a member of

various organizations including Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated,

American College of Healthcare Executives, Black Applied Behavior Analyst, and

National Association of Professional Women.