Functional Relations

Zachary Bird, PhD, BCBA-D and Caleb Davis, PhD, BCBA-D

Behavior Analysis

Radical Behaviorism

Reinforcement

Goal Setting

Matching Law

ADHD

Clinical Interventions

Artificial Intelligence

Continuing Education

Child Anxiety

Leadership

BACB

Behavioral Economics

Cultural Selection

SPACE Model

Walden Two

Virtual Reality

Supervision

Verbal Behavior

Applied Behavior Analysis

An ABA podcast where Dr. Zachary Bird and Dr. Caleb Davis set aside time to have engaging conversation with experts in the field of behavior analysis to explore topics like ethics of functional analysis, effective supervision practices, translating research to practice, and others. BACB, IBAO, and QABA CEUs are available for listeners. To purchase, visit www.functionalrelationspodcast.com To deliv... more

49 ratings

Publishes	Monthly	Episodes	47	Founded	7 years ago
Number of Listeners		Categories	Social SciencesEducationScience

Listen to this Podcast

Guests Hosts Reviews Charts Talking Points

Latest Episodes

#43 - Analyzing Complex Teacher-Student Interactions w/ Dr. Corey Stocco and Molly Dwyer

In this episode, Zach and Caleb discuss analyzing teacher-student interactions with Dr. Corey Stocco (BCBA-D) and Molly Dwyer (BCBA). • 1.5 General CEU (BACB, IBAO, and/or QABA) is available for this episode. You can purchase it at www.funct... more

1 Jun 2026 • 1 hr 19 min • Most popular

#42 - The Status of Radical Behaviorism w/ Dr. Bill Ahearn

In this episode, Zach and Caleb discuss a recent publication on the status of radical behaviorism with Dr. Bill Ahearn.

• 1 General CEU (BACB, IBAO, and/or QABA) is available for this episode. You can purchase it at www.functionalrelations... more

1 May 2026 • 1 hr 9 min

#41 - Student Episode: 7 Dimensions of ABA

In this episode, Zach and Caleb have a discussion to help students understand the 7 dimensions of applied behavior analysis from the 1968 article "Some Current Dimensions of Applied Behavior Analysis" by Baer, Wolf, & Risley. This covers A.5. of the ... more

1 Apr 2026 • 40 min

#40 - Rethinking How We Teach Tacts w/ Dr. Judah Axe

In this episode, Zach and Caleb discuss rethinking how we approach teaching tacts w/ Dr. Judah Axe.

• 0.5 Ethic/0.5 General CEU (BACB, IBAO, and/or QABA) is available for this episode. You can purchase it at www.functionalrelationspodcast.... more

1 Mar 2026 • 1 hr 8 min

Key Facts

Accepts Guests

Contact Information

Podcast Host

Number of Listeners

Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt CicoriaMatt Cicoria

Behavior BitchesStudy Notes ABA, LLC

Crime JunkieAudiochuck

The MothThe Moth

The How to ABA PodcastShira Karpel & Shayna Gaunt

Recent Guests

Corey Stocco

Behavior Analyst at an intermediate school district in Minnesota

Intermediate School District, Minnesota

Episode: #43 - Analyzing Complex Teacher-Student Interactions w/ Dr. Corey Stocco and Molly Dwyer

Molly Dwyer

Behavior Analyst at an intermediate school district in Minnesota

Intermediate School District, Minnesota

Episode: #43 - Analyzing Complex Teacher-Student Interactions w/ Dr. Corey Stocco and Molly Dwyer

Bill Ahearn

Director of Research at the New England Center for Children; Chair of the Behavior Analyst Licensing Board in Massachusetts

New England Center for Children; Massachusetts Licensing Board

Episode: #42 - The Status of Radical Behaviorism w/ Dr. Bill Ahearn

Dr. Judah Axe

Director of Research at Behavioral Connections; President of the BF Skinner Foundation; Adjunct Professor at Simmons University

Behavioral Connections; BF Skinner Foundation; Simmons University

Episode: #40 - Rethinking How We Teach Tacts w/ Dr. Judah Axe

Bruce Tinor

BCBA and Assistant Superintendent at Saucon Valley School District

Saucon Valley School District

Episode: #39 - The Science of Positive Culture Building w/ Dr. Bruce Tinor

Dr. Paula Kenyon

International consultant in behavior analysis and adjunct professor

Northeastern University

Episode: #38 - Can I Take That $11 Gift Card? w/ Dr. Paula Kenyon

Michael Domjan

Professor of Psychology at University of Texas at Austin; expert in Pavlovian conditioning

University of Texas at Austin

Episode: #37 - Pavlovian Conditioning for the Applied Behavior Analyst w/ Dr. Michael Domjan

David Roth

Member of the Publication Committee of the BF Skinner Foundation; BCBA; co-host of Dialogues on Verbal Behavior

BF Skinner Foundation; Dialogues on Verbal Behavior

Episode: #36 - Did Skinner Meditate? Behaviorism Meets Contemplative Living w/ David Roth

Dr. David Cox

Assistant Director of Research at Endicott College; Vice President of Data Science at Mosaic Pediatric Therapy

Endicott College; Mosaic Pediatric Therapy

Episode: #35 - Ethics of AI in behavioral services w/ Dr. David Cox

Hosts

Zach Bird

Host focusing on applying ABA to education, leadership, and practical coaching; collaborates with guests to extract actionable takeaways.

Caleb Davis

Co-host with a focus on translating research to practice, ethics, and practical classroom strategies.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 49 ratings

Great CE’s
Great podcast. I enjoy how diverse the areas of topics are. And earning CE’s while listening and walking my dog is a bonus!
Apple Podcasts
5
amanda_314
United States5 years ago
Amazing!
I have loved listening to the Functional Relations podcast - the topics, insights, and expert opinions have been excellent! I’ve recommended to my cohort members and professors. Hoping there will be more!!
Apple Podcasts
5
Olew0610
United States6 years ago
Loving this podcast!
I started with episode 3 - I laughed, I cheered, I got the chills a couple times. :) I love the accessibility of podcasts and the opportunity to get ceus while I’m listening on my way to work!
Apple Podcasts
5
kristen j.m.
United States7 years ago
A must listen to!
What a fantastic podcast for those in the field of ABA. I love the format of the two of you discussing the topic, interviewing your guests, and then recapping what was discussed. I’m so looking forward to your future episodes!
Apple Podcasts
5
Mariadee5
Canada7 years ago
Great ABA podcast
Love the podcast. Listened for work but will continue to be a listener. Love that ABA providers are getting into podcasting- perfect way to pass time during the multiple commutes!
Apple Podcasts
5
AtlAlly
United States7 years ago

Embed These Reviews on a Website

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Accessible discussions that still feel deeply informed.

Diverse topics with solid expert insights.

Great for CEUs and practical takeaways.

Well-structured format with guest highlights and recaps.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts	#111	United States/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#61	India/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#162	Mexico/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#166	Ireland/Science/Social Sciences
Apple Podcasts	#211	Norway/Science/Social Sciences

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

#43 - Analyzing Complex Teacher-Student Interactions w/ Dr. Corey Stocco and Molly Dwyer

Q: What are the limitations of traditional disciplinary approaches like suspension or coercive discipline?

Disciplinary strategies can create negative reinforcement traps, fail to address underlying functions, lead to counter-control, and often result in temporary relief without long-term behavior change.

#32 - Is Private Equity Good for ABA? w/ Dr. Cody Morris

Q: What safeguards or ethical considerations should be in place to prevent negative impacts on client welfare?

He discusses the need for organizational-level standards and oversight (e.g., Autism Commission on Quality and CASP-type guidelines) to hold PE-owned providers to high-quality standards, and stresses that credentialed BCBA leadership should be the final decision-maker to safeguard clinical integrity against profit-driven contingencies.

#32 - Is Private Equity Good for ABA? w/ Dr. Cody Morris

Q: What are the primary advantages PE ownership can bring to an ABA company or its staff and clients?

Morris outlines potential benefits including taking over non-clinical management duties (billing, payer negotiations, HR, marketing), providing capital for growth, and offering expertise to scale operations, all while allowing clinicians to focus on clinical work and potentially expanding service delivery and market share.

#32 - Is Private Equity Good for ABA? w/ Dr. Cody Morris

Q: What is private equity and why has it become prominent in the ABA field?

Dr. Morris defines private equity as a group of private investors who pool resources to buy and manage a company with the aim of increasing its resale value, and notes that in ABA this often means PE sees providers as assets to be scaled and monetized, sometimes at the expense of long-term clinical considerations. He emphasizes the basic mechanics, the fiduciary obligation to investors to maximize returns, and the tensions this creates with client welfare and professional ethics.

#37 - Pavlovian Conditioning for the Applied Behavior Analyst w/ Dr. Michael Domjan

Q: What do you think are the potential benefits for clinicians to view client behavior through more of a Pavlovian lens rather than focusing predominantly on operant conditioning?

Broadening the lens to include Pavlovian processes expands the clinician's toolkit by highlighting how signals, cues, and automatic physiological responses shape behavior, which can inform more nuanced intervention strategies and potentially reveal new techniques for modifying behavior beyond reinforcement schedules.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Functional Relations

What is Functional Relations about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Two hosts discuss behavior-analytic concepts, classroom applications, ethics, leadership, AI, and organizational culture with a rotating slate of field experts. Episodes frequently cover how to translate research into practice, the nuances of ethics and implementation in schools and clinics, and practical coaching, data-informed decision making, and social validity. Noteworthy are guest-led deep-dives into radical behaviorism, meaningful skills, and contemporary issues like private equity in ABA, ethics of gifts, and AI governance. The format blends accessible theory with real-world examples, making it helpful for practitioners, supervisors, and students looking to apply ABA principles in education, clinical settings, or organizational cont... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Functional Relations?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Functional Relations. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Functional Relations and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Functional Relations get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Functional Relations, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Functional Relations?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Functional Relations, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Functional Relations have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Functional Relations has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Functional Relations?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Functional Relations:

1. The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria
2. Behavior Bitches
3. Crime Junkie
4. The Moth
5. The How to ABA Podcast

How many episodes of Functional Relations are there?

Functional Relations launched 7 years ago and published 47 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Functional Relations?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Functional Relations?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Functional Relations from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Functional Relations?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Functional Relations. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Functional Relations?

Recent guests on Functional Relations include:

1. Corey Stocco
2. Molly Dwyer
3. Bill Ahearn
4. Dr. Judah Axe
5. Bruce Tinor
6. Dr. Paula Kenyon
7. Michael Domjan
8. David Roth

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.

Try it free for 7 days