.png)
Episode 12
From Traditional ABA to Developmentally-Grounded Services
About This Episode
In this episode, we’re joined by Teresa McFarland, M.Ed., BCBA, Director and Senior Consultant for Thrive Collaborative, to explore her 22-year journey from traditional behavior therapy to Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) that prioritize relationships, motivation, and joy. Teresa shares how Thrive uses models like the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) to create developmentally respectful, family-centered services across home, school, and clinic settings. Thrive’s work centers on naturalistic, relationship-based therapy with a strong focus on parent coaching and collaborative care. Teresa also shares her professional evolution—from an undergrad volunteering with autistic children, to graduate training at Vanderbilt under Ann Kaiser, to building Thrive Collaborative as a space for affirming, play-based care.
From Traditional ABA to Developmentally-Grounded Services
Theresa MacFarland
About Our Guest Speaker
Theresa MacFarland
Theresa McFarland, M.Ed., BCBA is a Behavior Analyst and Certified Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) Trainer and Provider with over 20 years of experience supporting young children with autism and their families. She holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Vanderbilt University. Theresa’s work focuses on designing and implementing developmentally meaningful, play-based interventions and naturalistic language supports across home, clinic, and community settings.
Show Notes
In this episode, we’re joined by Teresa McFarland, M.Ed., BCBA, Director and Senior Consultant for Thrive Collaborative, to explore her 22-year journey from traditional behavior therapy to Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Interventions (NDBIs) that prioritize relationships, motivation, and joy. Teresa shares how Thrive uses models like the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) and Enhanced Milieu Teaching (EMT) to create developmentally respectful, family-centered services across home, school, and clinic settings. Thrive’s work centers on naturalistic, relationship-based therapy with a strong focus on parent coaching and collaborative care. Teresa also shares her professional evolution—from an undergrad volunteering with autistic children, to graduate training at Vanderbilt under Ann Kaiser, to building Thrive Collaborative as a space for affirming, play-based care.
Episode Highlights:
Blending ESDM + EMT – How Thrive combines the developmental structure of ESDM with EMT’s emphasis on language modeling, mirroring, and multiple communication functions to deepen communication and connection.
Supporting Generalization – Findings from Teresa’s dissertation research on EMT show that generalization of strategies across routines doesn’t happen automatically—even with strong parent coaching. Booster sessions and intentional supports are key.
Moving Beyond Rigid ABA – Teresa reflects on her early training in discrete trial instruction and the moment she realized something was missing: child motivation, spontaneity, and real-world application.
Parent Coaching that Feels Like Play – Thrive equips parents to embed strategies into daily life so therapy doesn’t feel like a chore. Coaching supports empowerment, not compliance.
Building Bridges in the Community – Thrive is actively changing perceptions of ABA by working closely with schools and other providers, prioritizing collaboration, shared language, and developmentally appropriate programming.
Defining Meaningful Progress – The focus is on behavioral cusps and readiness for learning, not just checking off isolated targets. Progress looks different for every child and family.
Episode Resources
Whether you’re a parent or a professional, you don’t to miss an episode.