Affectively-Align & Culturally Aware ABA Notebook

SAY ALL FAST MINUTE EVERYDAY SHUFFLED

As an ABA MS student, I found the requirement to complete 15x SAFMEDS practice over 5 days (3x/day) not just insufficient but also overwhelming, especially with 124 cards to flip through in just one minute. The aim was to reach 30 correct responses, with a target of 40 maximum correct responses. But the speed and volume made mastery feel impossible. Even with consistent practice and a celeration chart to track progress. Seeing slow or inconsistent improvement in the data path was discouraging rather than motivating. Without meaningful reinforcement for small gains, it was hard to stay engaged, and the process sometimes left me more frustrated than confident in my learning.

While SAFMEDS can be useful for building quick recall, its effectiveness depends on how it’s structured and reinforced. Research (sorry, I’m lazy for citation today) suggests that combining it with spaced repetition, reviewing materials over longer intervals could help with long-term retention. If SAFMEDS is required, breaking sessions into smaller sets (e.g., 30-50 cards) might make practice feel less daunting while still building fluency. Furthermore, pairing it with methods like self-explanation (putting concepts in my own words) or applied practice (using ABA principles in real-life examples) could deepen understanding beyond just speed.

Different students thrive with different approaches, and what works for one may not work for another. If SAFMEDS feels discouraging, alternatives like active recall with delayed feedback or concept mapping might be more effective–or at least supplement SAFMEDS to make studying more manageable. The goal should be balancing fluency with true comprehension, keeping motivation intact. For me, reading, writing, and discussing real-world applications of ABA have been far more effective for retaining concepts than timed drills alone. While speed matters in some contexts, understanding why and how principles apply has made the biggest difference in learning. Perhaps a blend of methods–where SAFMEDS is one tool among many could create a more sustainable and rewarding study process.