Episode 4: PlayPath and Behavior Analysis with Dariyn Olas

Play isn't "outside" behavior analysis. It might be one of the most powerful ways to deliver it. In this episode, Dr. Jake Papazian, Di-Anne Elise, and Dr. Scott sit down with guest Dariyn Olas to talk about PlayPath, the platform she built to bring play-based intervention to toddlers, with a focus on pre-linguistic skills like joint attention, imitation, and early requesting. The group breaks down how play schemas help clinicians read a child's natural patterns and scaffold toward more complex play without losing motivation, and how PlayPath supports that with clinician-friendly assessments and video models. Along the way, Dariyn shares her path from RBT work into building the app, and the conversation opens up into bigger questions for the field: where play fits in ABA's scope, how NDBIs and ESDM tie in, and why collaboration with speech and OT matters so much for early intervention. A great listen for BCBAs, early intervention providers, and parents looking for a practical way to make play-based teaching work with kids ages 0–3.