Hello, I am Dr. Esther C. Bubb. Welcome to my blog! I am so excited to connect with you. I was born in Grenada, a tiny island in the Caribbean. Pure Grenada boasts of tranquil beaches, undulating hills, picturesque scenery, warm sunshine, authentic foods, steel pan music, and friendly people.
I have been living in the United States on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for several years. My professional work is in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). In my role as Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), I help families, individuals, and professionals understand the basic principles that lead to meaningful progress. I enjoy talking about behavior and seeing people experience positive behavior change.
George[1] is a student I supported many years ago. When I received his referral, he was four years old and had attended over four preschools. Because of the disruptiveness and severity of his behaviors, every preschool he enrolled in expelled him. The Director of the early childhood center he was attending when I accepted his case offered to work with me to begin his behavior intervention program.
When I met George, I greeted him, and he reciprocated. He asked me my name, then sat on the floor with his classmates. I observed from a table towards the back of the circle area and joined in singing the Good Morning song. After about one minute, George cursed his teacher, knocked over furniture, threw items toward his peers, called me a “b!&%#!” when I blocked him from throwing, spat in my face, and attempted to pull off my shirt.
The Behavior Technician (BT) returned to the preschool to support George. I continued my consultation and training every week. We worked with him in the gym because we knew his love of basketball and the individualized instruction were more likely to be effective. We taught him academic and social skills for success.
As he made progress, we reinforced his positive behavior by shooting hoops and playing basketball and other physical games with him. Once he was ready to return to the classroom, we reintegrated him with his peers until he spent his entire school day in the classroom. When he was no longer engaging in disruptive and aggressive behaviors, I ended the behavior consultation.
Reflecting on my training as a Behavior Analyst, realizing that ABA is more than Autism and schooling, and knowing my mantra is to inspire others to choose behaviors that empower them to become Better Every Single Time (BEST), led me to create this blog. My goal in blogging is to apply basic principles of behavior to motivate you to be your BEST. As I share my knowledge, stories, and experiences with you, I hope that your life improves through the knowledge you gain.
As Maya Angelou once said, “When you learn, teach. When you get, give” (Pocket Maya Angelou Wisdom, 2019).[2] I hope that as I blog, I teach you what I learn and give you the knowledge I get so you can change what is meaningful to you. I intend to become a better version of myself as I empower you to be your BEST.
Thank you for joining my journey!
Dr. Bubb.
[1] George is a pseudonym used to protect the privacy and confidentiality of the student.
[2] Pocket May Angelou Wisdom. (2019). Self-empowerment, p. 15. London: Hardie Grant Books.