Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amanda Ralston. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Amanda, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Amanda Ralston, a trailblazer in neurodiversity and nonbinary perspectives, traverses the world facilitating immersive workshops and addressing diverse audiences at academic institutions, executive circles, and creative collectives. Their unique approach illuminates the transformative potential of playful engagement as a cornerstone of cognitive flexibility, collaborative synergy, and groundbreaking innovation. By embracing neurodivergent thought patterns and challenging binary constructs, Ralston’s sessions foster environments where unconventional ideas flourish, leading to enhanced creativity and revolutionary problem-solving across various fields.
Serial entrepreneur. Perspicacious creative synthesizer. Intellectual decorator crab. Avid professional observer. Charismatic, dynamic, and compassionate thought leader – and fan of the Oxford comma.
Amanda (“Mandy”) Ralston has been certified as a behavior analyst since 2002, first as a BCaBA, and then as a BCBA. During her career she has founded two companies that provided applied behavior analysis services to hundreds of families, schools, and individuals with autism or other developmental or intellectual disabilities. She has ushered dozens of aspirational behavior analysts into the field as a mycorrhizal influencer, in pursuit of greater impact of change for constituents.
Mandy has served as a Subject Matter Expert to a number of international workgroups and panels related to Behavior Analysis, Ethics, Outcomes, and Practice. She is has been a featured speaker in several mediums globally.
She continues to mad-happily create unique solutions by synthesizing her own history of reinforcement and punishment with evidence-based practices, Clinical and Business Intelligence, and Technology in an effort to further support clinicians, funders, businesses, and founders in changing the world for QoL, Outcomes, neuro/diversity, equity, and inclusion.
An early proselytizer of Verbal Behavior, Ralston uses her considerable imitation repertoire and joint control to engage in behavior resulting in a wide variety of reinforcement. Her behavior continues to be shaped by its impact on a world where autism exists, and the field of behavior analysis.
Her most recent venture is NonBinary Solutions – a data analytics and technology firm making bespoke Clinical Decision Support Systems for providers and other constituents of Applied Behavior Analysis.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I get invited to speak often. Each time that I do, I end the talk with “Follow me on social media. I’m not hard to find on the internet at all. I like to say that I am vaguely professional on LinkedIn, mostly* authentic on Instagram, and COMPLETELY unhinged on Facebook. Choose your own adventure. Buyer beware. You’re welcome and I’m sorry – Because #ItsNotBinary.”
I’ve been very outspoken about what it’s like to be a female founder in a system rife with bias toward males, and especially white males. I try to address it with humor, as it points out uncomfortable truths with the edges filed down… Catch a couple of my quips here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/C5p-QF5u3e7/
and here:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DChspU9vZgh/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amandaralston.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nonbinary_solutions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amanda.ralston.9/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-ralston-m-ed-bcba-lba-96b2896a/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nonbinary_solutions
- Other: www.nonbinarysolutions.com
www.knowetic.ai
www.cndi.us
Image Credits
Chet White