Interview with Bryan Simmons, MS, BCBA, LBA

Interview conducted by​ Rebecca J. Barall, M.Ed., BCBA, CBIS, LBA
Distinguished Scholar

Introduction

The Distinguished Scholar interviews in The Current Repertoire highlight scholars’ analysts whose work has made meaningful contributions to research, practice, and training in our field. In this interview, I spoke with Bryan Simmons, fellow Distinguished Scholar, about the experiences that shaped his development, the mentors and scholarship that influenced his thinking, and his commitment to improving quality of life for individuals with complex support needs. Our conversation also explores the role of functional analysis in clinical decision-making, the importance of open dialogue within the field, and the values that guide his work as both a scholar and practitioner.

Interview

Looking back on your graduate or early professional journey, what moments stand out as particularly formative for you?

Looking back on my early professional development, my time working at the University of Kansas stands out as particularly formative. I have been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to train closely under the mentorship of Dr. Claudia Dozier, and that experience has greatly shaped much of how I perceive behavior analysis today. One particularly impactful aspect of my training was gaining extensive experience developing, conducting, and interpreting functional analyses. Having repeated opportunities to be intimately involved in the iterative process that is functional analysis has solidified my interest in assessing and treating severe challenging behavior and reinforced the importance of not only evidence-based assessment and treatment processes, but sound training.

Was there a specific article, book, mentor, or experience that significantly shifted how you think about behavior analysis?

Mentorship has been central to my growth. Again, Dr. Claudia Dozier has been my most notable influence, but also informally, through coursework, projects, and interactions with Dr. Ed Morris. Any time I had the opportunity to stop by his office to listen to stories about the early development of behavior analysis, especially at Kansas, I’d take it. Those moments provided a unique perspective on the history and evolution of our field and will be memories I hold onto forever.

Several classic articles have shaped my thinking, particularly in supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across the lifespan. Bannerman et al. (1990), often referred to as the “doughnut article,” discusses balancing habilitation with personal liberties. That framework continues to influence how I think about individual rights in applied settings. Similarly, Van Houten et al. (1990) on the right to effective behavioral treatment has shaped my perspective on ethical practice and our responsibility as behavior analysts, particularly with the work our lab does in supporting adults with IDD who have histories of severe challenging behavior.

Can you describe a time when something in behavior analysis “didn’t quite add up” for you, and how that tension shaped your growth?

At times, tensions in the field have also challenged my thinking. Different “camps” exist regarding intervention approaches, and while disagreements occur, I believe most of us share the same goal: supporting individuals from vulnerable populations in meaningful ways. Open dialogue, rather than confrontation, has been essential to my professional growth. I’ve learned to consider the conditions under which certain procedures may be appropriate instead of adopting absolutist positions and that is thanks to my experiences at Kansas.

How has behavior analysis influenced you personally, beyond your academic or professional life?

Behavior analysis has definitely influenced my life beyond professional work. Growing up in an area with a dense concentration of behavior analysts inspired me to pursue the field. Today, behavioral principles guide how my wife and I parent our two neurotypically developing young children. Texts like “Positive Parenting” by Glenn Latham have been particularly helpful to me by offering behaviorally grounded guidance that can be supportive to any parent and one that I return to regularly.

Can you share a moment when behavior analytic thinking changed how you interpreted an event in your own life?

Parenting is where behavior analytic thinking influences me daily. From the moment I wake up to the time I go to bed, I try to approach the highs and the lows with a behavioral lens, such as identifying relevant motivating operations, antecedents, maintaining consequences, and thinking about overall skill development. This perspective helps me collaborate effectively with my wife to support our children in respectful and dignified ways.

What values guide your work as a scholar and/or practitioner?

At the heart of my work is improving quality of life. I focus on understanding severe challenging behavior and the environmental variables that evoke and maintain it. When behavior isn’t effectively addressed, individuals face the unfortunate likelihood of restrictions in daily life, including limited access to the community. I aim to identify these conditions through the functional assessment process and develop individualized interventions that remove barriers and support meaningful engagement.

What kinds of questions in behavior science inspire your work today?

I’m motivated by questions that address challenging behavior and barriers it creates for individuals’ access to the community, engagement in meaningful activities and building relationships. I aim to understand under what conditions challenging behaviors occur, and how we can use evidence-based approaches to reduce unnecessary restrictions while supporting autonomy, rights, and quality of life.

What advice would you give to students who are just beginning to explore their interests in behavior analysis?

For students entering the field, my advice is to gain as much hands-on experience as possible. For example, observe and participate in functional analyses, seek out high-quality mentorship, pursue accredited training programs, and put your behavior out there so it can be shaped. Growth requires actively practicing what you learn and not being afraid to have your behavior contact contingencies.

How would you recommend students approach readings that initially feel dense or difficult?

When readings feel dense, break them into manageable sections and focus on the core elements: history, contribution to the literature, purpose, targeted participants, independent and dependent variables, experimental design, results, and limitations. Summarizing these aspects helps make empirical research more accessible and meaningful, at least to me.

What does it mean to you to be recognized as a Distinguished Scholar?

Being recognized as a Distinguished Scholar is truly an honor. I am not one to usually highlight my own achievements, so this recognition means a lot. It’s gratifying to be acknowledged among the many respected scholars who have shaped our field in meaningful ways.

What impact do you hope your work will have on the field?

Looking ahead, I hope my work encourages broader adoption of evidence-based assessment and treatment processes like functional analyses in both research and applied settings. Although it remains the gold standard for understanding challenging behavior, many practitioners still hesitate to use it. One goal is to identify efficient, accessible approaches that allow more people to adopt these processes and practices, ultimately improving outcomes and quality of life for individuals with significant behavioral challenges.