Selfie Data

with Worner Leland

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Behavior Bites Podcast - Ep27

Nov 22, 2023

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Do you take data on your own behaviors?

Would you ever take frequency data on each tear you cried?

During today’s meal— I talk with a behavior analyst and educator who is passionate about taking data on themself. We discuss neurodiversity, dream projects, self care, and a little about mushrooms.

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• What's on the Menu?

  Amuse-Bouche

  • Could you tell us about “selfie data”?

  Appetizers

  • How did you get into Behavior Analysis?

  • What does neurodivergence and neurodiversity-affirming mean to you?

  Palate Cleanser

  • What’s the best thing you’ve eaten this week?

  Entrees

  • If there were no barriers or constraints, what would be your dream project?

  • What’s something people seem to misunderstand about you, or are generally surprised to find out about you?

  Dessert

  • How do you balance life and work and practice self-care?

  • What is your favorite thing about what you do?

  Nightcap

  • Tell us about the Sex ABA Conference

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Excerpts from the Episode

(*Paraphrased highlights)

• Could you tell us about “selfie data”?

  I'm passionate about things like self discovery through data because my memory is trash, like, forgotten if it's not written down.

  There was somebody running a study that let you self-define what you were calling crying, how you were taking your data, and what you were taking your data on. It was a nice outer behavior to track what we might call private events.

  What would I tact as a feeling here? What sort of contingency is occurring in this moment? What am I feeling in my body along with this?

  Then I was able to put it on a standard celeration chart and had some really great outcomes from that experience. A lot of the myths I had about myself, I found were not true based on what was actually showing up.

• If there were no barriers or constraints, what would be your dream project?

  For a long time, I have dreamed of being able to have behavior analysis coursework that's specifically rooted in development across the lifespan with sex education embedded into the coursework.

• What’s something people seem to misunderstand about you, or are surprised to find out about you?

  I think autistic people are 0% surprised to find out that I’m autistic, but typical people are stunned. That, and gender related things. I used to feel a lot of pressure through childhood to perform femininity, but didn’t feel any sort of ties to gender whatsoever. It's been interesting to see a lot of misgendering crop back up as I'm shifting into a space where I'm just sort of like, letting myself dress for joy, letting myself do what I want, because I like it.

• What is your favorite thing about what you do?

  I feel like the number one feedback I get from people is that they feel like they’re being given permission to do something that their heart knew they should be doing, and wanted to be doing, but was somehow told by our field, the constructs, capital “S” Science (whatever that means), that this is not how you do the thing.

  So I think the greatest joy shows up for me when I connect with other people and exist in a space where people are giving themselves more permission and more freedom to care about one another— and let that be important first.

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ABOUT Worner

Worner Leland, MS, BCBA, LBA (they/them)

Worner is a former researcher and educator with Upswing Advocates, a current educator with Sex Ed Continuing Ed, a current collaborative writer with the Assent Lab, and a past president of the Sexual Behavior Research and Practice SIG of ABAI. Their work focuses on sex education, assent and consent education, and harm reduction and coercion reduction education in behavior analysis.

CONNECT with Worner

Instagram: @tldrsexscience & @sexabaconference
Dissemination: SexABA.com & sexedcontinuinged.com

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