The Behavioral Observations Podcast with Matt Cicoria

Developing Rapport and Sustaining Motivation in Autism Treatment: Session 325 with Alice Shillingsburg

Feb 23, 2026

Alice Shillingsburg, a professor and autism intervention researcher, discusses building therapeutic rapport through a nine-stage pairing protocol. She covers timing, observing approach behaviors, instructional fading to increase task difficulty, practical data collection for engagement, and how to sustain and repair rapport over time.

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INSIGHT

Therapeutic Rapport Increases Willingness To Work

Therapeutic rapport is more than likability; it creates trust that increases willingness to do hard tasks.
Alice Shillingsburg compares it to discretionary effort with a preferred boss, showing rapport boosts persistence during difficult therapy.

ANECDOTE

How A 2001 Conference Sparked A Research Program

Alice first encountered pairing at a 2001 conference and chose it as her dissertation topic.
Vince Carbone's presentation and Sundberg/Partington manuals catalyzed her long-term research path.

INSIGHT

Pairing Is A Multi-Ingredient Intervention

Pairing feels messy because it includes many interacting active ingredients, making isolation of a single causal variable difficult.
That complexity likely limited earlier empirical research despite strong clinical relevance.

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In this episode, I talk with Dr. Alice Shillingsburg about her work on rapport building and pairing procedures in applied behavior analysis for children with autism. We explore how building therapeutic rapport goes beyond simply "liking someone," emphasizing the importance of establishing trust and engagement to facilitate learning, especially when tasks are challenging.

Alice explains the nine-stage pairing protocol she developed and highlights how careful timing, observation, and reinforcement choices can make pairing effective. We discuss the significance of observing children's approach behaviors to understand their preferences and keep therapy engaging, as well as how instructional fading can gradually increase task difficulty without creating aversive experiences.

During our conversation, we took a quick sidebar to talk about the upcoming Verbal Behavior Conference. This is a conference like none other. Whether you participate online or make the short drive to Austin, you'll be treated to very in-depth talks about generative learning for individuals with Autism and related disabilities. Learn more and register here.

We also dive into practical applications — how pairing and instructional procedures can be adapted in real-world therapy settings, while still maintaining their effectiveness. Alice talks about data collection strategies for engagement and behavior, including the importance of tracking approach behaviors, avoidance, and other signals of a child's readiness.

Finally, we consider the sustainability of pairing procedures over time and potential directions for future research, including investigating methods of instructional fading and tracking gestural communication development in children with autism.

Resources Mentioned

Shillingsburg, et al. (2019). Rapport Building and Instructional Fading Prior to Discrete Trial Instruction: Moving From Child-Led Play to Intensive Teaching
Cariveau, et al. (2020). A Structured Intervention to Increase Response Allocation to Instructional Settings for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Shillingsburg, et al. (2014). Increasing social approach and decreasing social avoidance in children with autism spectrum disorder during discrete trial training

Sponsor Shoutouts

The School Behavioral Solutions for Special Educators & Behavior Analysts. The Behavior Toolbox Conference is a one-day, high-impact professional convening that brings together experienced practitioners and leaders from across education and behavior science to share what actually works in schools. It's taking place virtually through BehaviorLive on March 5th, 2026, and will be available on-demand for those who can't make it on the day of the event.
CEUs from Behavioral Observations. Learn from your favorite podcast guests while you're commuting, walking the dog, or whatever else you do while listening to podcasts. New events are being added all the time, so check them out here.
The 2026 Verbal Behavior Conference! Taking place March 26–27, 2026, in Austin, Texas, or livestream and on-demand on BehaviorLive. Presenters will include Drs. Mark Sundberg, Patrick McGreevy, Caio Miguel, Alice Shillingsburg, Sarah Frampton, Andresa De Souza, and Danielle LaFrance will share how Skinner's analysis of verbal behavior can guide the assessment and treatment of generative learning challenges in children with autism and other developmental disabilities. And don't miss the special pre-conference workshop on Wednesday, March 25.