“My Role as a Mentor is to Challenge, Guide and Invest Deeply in Each Person’s Success.”
– In Conversation with Dr Moore, BCBA
We recently welcomed Dr James Moore, BCBA to the Shine Bright team as our new Chief Clinical Officer. Dr Moore has a truly impressive career to-date, holding a Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi and completing a pre-doctoral internship in Pediatric Psychology from the Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins University Medical Center. His work in the ABA therapy space is unmatched; currently serving as a Contributing Faculty member in the Applied Behavior Analysis Program at Walden University as well as being published in several journals (to name just a few of his professional achievements). We sat down with him to find out more about his journey into ABA therapy, and what Shine Bright staff can expect from his mentorship.
What was your early life like, and when were you first introduced to ABA?
“I grew up in a home that valued science and logic — my father was an accountant, and my mother worked in a microbiology research lab. There was always an emphasis on critical thinking, but like many kids, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I grew up. I played baseball, tennis, and was even in band. Ultimately, I went to college on a music scholarship and planned to become a band director.
“That changed when I took an educational psychology course as part of my degree requirements. Up until then, I had dismissed psychology as too subjective to be useful. But this course introduced me to behavior analysis, and everything shifted. I discovered there was a science-based, objective way to understand and influence human behavior, and I was hooked. I devoured everything my professor recommended, and by the end of the course, he asked me, “Have you ever thought about going to graduate school and doing this for a living?”
“At the time, ABA wasn’t yet its own profession, so becoming a psychologist was the only viable path into the field. That’s the route I took. I was fortunate to complete my internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute, where I had incredible mentors who shaped the direction of my career. Looking back, those early experiences and the guidance I received were foundational. Having great mentors early on makes all the difference.”
Tell us about your career to-date and how you were first introduced to Shine Bright:
“Throughout my career, I’ve primarily been a practitioner, though I’ve always had a deep appreciation for writing and contributing to the literature through client-centered research. I’ve published over 40 articles, which I consider a meaningful contribution to our field. I’ve also had the privilege of training future behavior analysts — first by running a graduate training program at the University of Southern Mississippi, and currently as a faculty member at Walden University. Teaching keeps me sharp and ensures I stay closely connected to the latest developments in our science. In my past teaching roles — at the Florida Institute of Technology and the University of Kansas — I was lucky to collaborate with some of the top academic minds in ABA. I highly value that type of experience.
“I first came across Shine Bright through an ad for a Lead BCBA role. At the time, I was deeply invested in developing a more cohesive and outcomes-focused clinical model for early intervention, which aligned perfectly with Shine Bright’s vision. From the start, it’s felt like an ideal fit. The collaboration has been energizing, and the organization’s commitment to quality has made the work genuinely rewarding.
“There’s also a personal dimension. My family and I hadn’t planned to move to Arizona, but it had long been on our list to leave the South. I have two children with autism, and like any parent, I want them to have every opportunity — to live independently, pursue meaningful relationships, and build fulfilling lives. That’s reshaped how I think about my work. Now more than ever, I ask myself, “How does what I’m doing contribute to that kind of future — for them and for others?” At Shine Bright, I feel reconnected with that purpose. I genuinely love what I do again.”
What are the common critiques of ABA and how do you respond to them?
“As ABA has grown, so have the number of voices speaking about it, both in support and in critique. Rather than becoming defensive, I’ve learned to approach criticism with curiosity and skepticism. When I hear concerns, I ask myself, “Could this be true? And if so, what does that mean for how we practice?” Many critiques stem from more traditional models of ABA. A common concern is that some interventions can produce rigid, overly scripted social behavior. In many cases, I think that’s a fair criticism and it’s certainly not the kind of outcome we should accept. That realization pushed me to explore new approaches. Decades ago, our understanding of autism was extremely limited. We’ve come a long way, and we should keep evolving.
“Another concern often raised is that ABA can feel overly mechanical — stimulus, response, reward — especially when it fails to honor the child’s individuality and internal experience. I’ve worked with many children who don’t find adult voices particularly interesting or reinforcing, except perhaps for mom and dad. Even those relationships can sometimes become transactional. That pattern mirrors one of the central critiques of our field: that some interventions prioritize compliance over connection.
“Those concerns led me to ask deeper questions: What are we really trying to accomplish with ABA therapy? What does meaningful progress look like? Autism can create profound barriers to language, not just expressive language, but also the ability to engage in self-directed thought. One of our goals should be helping children build a “speaker-as-own-listener” repertoire — the ability to have an internal dialogue and reflect on one’s own behavior. That’s where real autonomy and resilience comes from.”
Can you explain a speaker-as-own-listener repertoire in more detail?
“Certainly. A speaker-as-own-listener repertoire refers to the ability to engage in covert verbal behavior, essentially having a conversation with yourself. It’s a key component of what we might informally call “thinking,” and it’s foundational to executive functioning, perspective-taking, and problem-solving.
“Take a simple example: I go to the grocery store and realize I’ve forgotten my shopping list. Instead of going back home, I start having an internal dialogue, “Were peanuts on the list? What about milk?”, where I serve as both the speaker and the listener. This kind of self-talk guides my behavior. It helps me make decisions, monitor my own performance, and flexibly adapt to the situation. For many children with autism, that speaker-as-own-listener repertoire is either underdeveloped or functionally absent. When they do engage in covert or overt verbal behavior alone, it often takes the form of vocal stereotypy — repeating lines from a favorite show, scripting, or making sounds that are automatically reinforcing. These are not instances of functional self-talk that support independence or social navigation.
“We see the same challenge in social environments. A neurotypical child might walk into a group setting and, without being told, look around, observe how others are interacting, and engage in a kind of internal rehearsal: “Should I sit here? What are they talking about? What should I say?” That internal conversation guides their behavior and helps them adjust in real-time. Many autistic children don’t engage in that same covert analysis, which leaves them more vulnerable in dynamic social situations. Without that repertoire, they’re less equipped to self-monitor, adapt, or make safe and informed choices.
“Recognizing this, I set out over 15 years ago to develop methodologies that help build this foundational skill. My focus has been on creating interventions that support the development of relational framing, derived stimulus relations, and ultimately the emergence of speaker-as-own-listener behavior. These repertoires are critical, not just for language development, but for autonomy, safety, and long-term independence.
What have the outcomes of your work been?
“The outcomes have been incredibly rewarding, both clinically and personally. Our approach to ABA integrates core behavior-analytic principles with components from relational frame theory, verbal behavior developmental theory, and developmental science. These aren’t add-ons, they’re fundamental to how we design treatment to support meaningful, lasting change.
“It’s exciting to see progress reflected not just in data, but in families’ lives. I’ve had parents tell me, “We went out to dinner for the first time,” or “We finally took a family vacation”, milestones that once felt out of reach. These moments are as important as any change on a graph, because they reflect real quality of life improvements.
“As both a clinician and a parent, I always come back to one central question: Does our therapy help children move toward a future where they can live independently, find meaningful work, and build fulfilling relationships? That’s the benchmark. For families like mine, that’s what we’re really working toward and when we see those outcomes, it means we’re doing something right.”
We’re currently recruiting for BCBAs at Shine Bright, with our new staff being lucky enough to have you as a mentor/coach. What can they expect from your mentorship?
“My mentorship style is highly individualized. I start by getting to know each BCBA’s unique strengths, interests, and growth areas. From there, we collaboratively develop an action plan focused on five to six key competencies that are most relevant to their professional development.
“We’ll meet regularly, weekly or biweekly, depending on what’s needed to support meaningful progress. I see mentorship not as top-down instruction, but as a partnership. My role is to challenge, guide, and invest deeply in each person’s success. Whether someone is working on refining clinical decision-making, building leadership skills, or diving deeper into the research, they’ll have structure, support, and a clear plan for growth.”
Find out more about our current BCBA vacancies in Arizona or get in touch with the team and start your Shine Bright journey today.