How to Deal With Difficult People

After listening to the episode, participants will be able to:

1. Operationally define “difficult behavior” in adults by identifying observable, measurable behaviors rather than using mentalistic or trait-based labels.
2. Apply core ABA principles to analyze challenging interpersonal interactions in professional, family, and consulting contexts.
3. Identify early behavioral red flags in professional relationships and evaluate when disengagement is appropriate.
4. Demonstrate how ABA-informed boundary setting can reduce reinforcement of ineffective or aversive interaction patterns.

References: 

Brodhead, M. T. (2015). Maintaining professional relationships in an interdisciplinary setting: Strategies for navigating nonbehavioral treatment recommendations for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8, 70–78.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-015-0042-7

Friedman, R., & El-Roy, J. (2024). Exploring interprofessional and self-compassion competencies for applied behavior analysis professionals: A qualitative study. Behavior Analysis in Practice. Advance online publication.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00991-5

Plattner, K., & Anderson, C. M. (2023). Therapeutic relationships in applied behavior analysis: A survey of behavior analysts. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 16, 1013–1027.