Timothy Zercher 0:00

Well, Paradise, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate you taking some time this morning.

Paradise Leuta 0:04

Thank you for having me here. I'm excited.

Timothy Zercher 0:07

Absolutely. Let's jump right into some of our questions. I think first question I always like to ask our guests is what first drew you into ABA and what led you to kind of challenge and rethink some of the more traditional approaches within the field.

Paradise Leuta 0:18

Well, I was first drawn to ABA because I, as a kid, didn't really have a safe environment to grow up in or to play in. So I saw the science of ABA as a fun way to create those safe environments that I missed out on. So in a very real way, when I'm on the floor playing with the client, I'm killing my inner child. And then I started looking at the traditional approaches and challenging them and wanted to move away from controlling behavior and just creating a place where a child could play.

Timothy Zercher 0:49

I love that. And I think that's it makes a lot of stuff. I think if a lot of these CBAs took time to enjoy the play that they're doing with their kids, they might do better. Yeah. So you speak pretty openly about decolonizing the EDA and addressing a lot of our a lot of the systematic issues. Where do you think the field still has kind of the biggest blind spot today?

Paradise Leuta 1:09

I think the biggest blind spot is how we interpret professional neutrality. Sometimes it can lead to silence around systemic issues, but some of these are directly impacting the families that we're working with, whether it's just conflict or displacement or systemic inequality. So I think just acknowledging those outside of the home, outside of the clinic, and how they shape the child's sense of safety.

Timothy Zercher 1:33

I love that. I love that. It's super relevant. I think a lot of people are scared to engage in any kind of social or political discussions, but they're relevant, right? That is what the kid is hearing all day long at home. That is part of the life. So you balance clinical work with advocacy and cultural awareness. What have you learned about delivering care that is both effective and also truly respective or respectful of individuals and the communities that you're serving?

Paradise Leuta 2:01

I really look at vassal hierarchy of needs and making sure that the goals I create are feasible and realistic for the family. I have to make sure that a child's foundational needs are met for safety regulation and belonging before we can even push them to learn or meet a goal. So meaning the mat and changing the plans, I think you have to be okay with that too.

Timothy Zercher 2:24

Absolutely. Can you talk a little bit more about how you involve kind of cultural awareness and cultural sensitivity into the work you do?

Paradise Leuta 2:33

Yeah, I think just asking the families, you know, during the assessment what holidays they celebrate, what's important to them, making sure that I'm choosing goals that are socially significant to them. My family comes from a Catholic and a Muslim background. So I'm very making sure that I cover a lot of my bases with them and trying to investigate what's important to them.

Timothy Zercher 2:57

I think one interesting just example of that I've heard before is I was interviewing another guest and they mentioned specifically, they said, you know, co-sleeping is much more accepted in some cultures than it is in others. And so for some clients, they won't sleep in their own bed is a real problem. And for others, that is not something that we care about. We're just focused on whatever. A more diverse diet. That's really all we care about. He can sleep with me as long as he needs, which is it's, I think, really interesting. So as a marketing agency that specializes in this face, we always ask some marketing questions. Tell me what works best for you right now in terms of gaining new clients.

Paradise Leuta 3:31

Honestly, we don't really rely on traditional marketing. I'll go on Facebook or TikTok and try to find like where I would find jobs. So that's pretty much how I would gain new clients.

Timothy Zercher 3:44

Okay. Yeah, yeah, it makes sense. Makes sense. And what is one marketing tactic or marketing strategy that you're maybe just watching in the marketplace right now?

Paradise Leuta 3:54

I think just a discourse online with AVA. We're hearing a lot from neurodivergent individuals. So really being open to hearing that conversation and hearing that feedback and adjusting our approach according to that feedback because our field does have a sketchy, harmful past. And, you know, we want to do better for them.

Timothy Zercher 4:18

Absolutely. It's all about actually serving, serving the kids now, like i i in reality, not in whatever the reality that was true 20 years ago.

Paradise Leuta 4:28

Of course.

Timothy Zercher 4:28

Yeah. Yeah. Perfect. Well, thank you so much for joining us. We really appreciate you coming on and sharing some of your insights. And I know that you're making a real impact on a lot of the families that you're working with as well. So thank you for the work that you're doing.

Paradise Leuta 4:39

Thank you so much for having me.

Timothy Zercher 4:41

Absolutely.