Change Doesn’t Have to Suck with Dr. Maya Shankar
Behavior Bitches
Study Notes ABA, LLC
4.9 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 19 January 2026
⏱️ 84 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week, Liat and her sister Talia sit down with Dr. Maya Shankar, cognitive scientist, former Senior Advisor and founder of the White House Behavioral Science Team, Head of Behavioral Economics at Google, host of A Slight Change of Plans, and author of The Other Side of Change.
Maya shares how she landed in rooms that didn’t even have a role for her yet (BCBAs, take notes), and opens up about losing the identity she built as a Juilliard-trained violinist after a career-ending injury. We unpack why change is so threatening to our sense of self, why our brains hate uncertainty, and how to build a “soft landing” when life makes other plans.
Liat also shares her own story of navigating serious health struggles and letting go of what she thought her career was going to look like. We talk identity, loss, growth, Love Is Blind takes, and why you are so much more than what you do.
Maya’s new book, The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans, is out now - click the link below to get your copy!
Behavior Concepts Covered:
Pairing
Reinforcement
Antecedent
Consequence
Contingency
Variable ratio schedule
High response effort
Connect with Dr. Maya:
Order Maya’s book and join our book club on Mar 10th!
Listen to a Slight Change of Plans
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Looking for BCBA Exam Prep or CEUs?
• Whether you need help passing the BCBA exam or are looking to earn CEUs, Study Notes ABA has you covered. Check out our website for comprehensive exam prep materials, prep courses, and CEUs
• Test Prep: StudyNotesABA.com
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• PairABA: PairABA.com
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey guys, it's your favorite bitch. |
| 0:01.5 | Leot here. |
| 0:02.3 | Are you stressing about taking the BCBA or BC ABA exam? |
| 0:06.8 | Feeling like you don't know where to start. |
| 0:08.4 | You got into this field. |
| 0:09.6 | You're worried. |
| 0:10.3 | Your program didn't prepare you so much. |
| 0:12.6 | You're wondering how you're going to get through grad school. |
| 0:15.3 | Then let alone take this test. |
| 0:17.9 | Well, let me take that stress on for you. |
| 0:23.7 | Over here at Study Notes ABA, this is what we do. |
| 0:30.4 | We eat, breathe, sleep, thinking about the BCBA exam. I've been carrying around my Cooper book for the last eight years so that you can chill. If you're getting ready to study and wondering what you could be doing, sign up for our live collective. It's 12 weeks, which is done over 24 classes. We meet twice a week. It's taught from actual BCBAs who have been there in your shoes studying for the exam. We make everything relatable, funny. You are actually going to enjoy the |
| 0:56.9 | study process. And hold me to that. If you're not enjoying it, let me know. I'll be shocked. |
| 1:02.0 | You get a study group, people who are studying the exact same thing, shared adversity. We could |
| 1:07.5 | ask all your questions and we take all the notes with you. You are going to have the most |
| 1:11.1 | beautiful doodles by the end and your Cooper book will seem way less scary. Are you worried about |
| 1:16.9 | payment plans? We've got that too. We get what it's like being an RBT in the field. So stop |
| 1:22.9 | stressing, start getting ready to pass the test and go to study notes aBA.com slash collectives and we have it |
| 1:31.8 | all there laid out beautifully for you. |
| 1:34.9 | Can't wait to see you. |
| 1:35.9 | Study notes ABA. |
| 1:40.3 | ABA in a little X rated away. |
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