Podcasts · The ABA Speech Podcast- Easy Strategies for Speech Therapists, BCBAs, and RBTs

#262: Strategies for Verbal Imitation

6 Jan 2026 · 13 min · Episode 262

I’m bringing back one of my mini episodes that continues to spark great conversations around verbal imitation. This reprise dives into how we think about echoics and verbal imitation in a way that is thoughtful, ethical, and grounded in collaboration. I share why this can be such a tricky area, especially when speech-language pathologists and BCBAs are working together, and why context always matters more than a checklist. In this episode, I walk through how I approach verbal imitation on a team, why assessment and collaboration are essential, and how we can support learners without turning them off to verbal communication. This is a practical listen that encourages all of us to slow down, zoom out, and make sure our targets are truly functional for the child in front of us.

#autism #speechtherapy What’s Inside:

• Why verbal imitation and echoics require careful, collaborative decision-making • The role of assessments and context when choosing verbal targets • How SLP and BCBA collaboration supports ethical and effective programming • A high-level look at maintaining and generalizing verbal imitation skills

Mentioned In This Episode: Verbal Imitation Guide (Hack #19) Join our ethics course Join the aba speech connection ABA Speech: Home

Links in the notes 4

• https://aba-speech-llc.kit.com/f93b10b4f4
• https://abaspeech.lpages.co/self-study-navigating-conflict-ethically-with-a-focus-on-aac-verbal-imitation-and-gestalt-language-processing/
• https://abaspeech.org/membership/
• https://abaspeech.org

The episode on the publisher’s site ↗ (opens in a new tab)