Dr. Allan Allday, Ph.D., BCBA-D

Personal Background

I am a husband of 20 years and a father of four children ages 4 to 15. I was a behavior “expert” until my wife and I began our parenting journey. It was then that I learned how difficult it is to put my “expert” knowledge into practice. We have experienced joy, suffering, victories, and defeat on this journey. I am looking forward to the parenting lessons yet to be learned.

Professional Background

I worked from 2004-2024 (20 years) as a professor at four universities (College of Charleston, Oklahoma State University, University of Kentucky, and University of South Alabama). The majority of the courses I taught over my career were focused on issues associated with improving adult responses to challenging behavior. I have published over 40 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, mostly related to helping adults improve their skills related to behavior change. I have over 175 conference and workshop presentations related to the topic of challenging behavior. I was awarded two Fulbright Scholar grants through the U.S. Department of State where I taught at universities abroad (Kyiv, Ukraine and Sopron, Hungary). These grants afforded me opportunities to work in schools, orphanages, rehabilitation centers, and homes. I learned from these experiences that adults (i.e., parents and teachers) and children in other countries have the same struggles as adults and children in the United States. I now understand that the principles of behavior work for all children and that no culture is exempt from dealing with challenging behaviors.

Educational Background

Beginning in 10th grade, I developed an interest in understanding why people do what they do. Specifically, I was interested in learning why children engage in challenging behaviors and effective ways to deal with those behaviors. This interest led me to major in psychology as an undergraduate. A month before graduation, I received a letter about a grant opportunity offering training for working with children with emotional/behavioral disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. Participating in this program opened the doors for helping children with challenging behaviors as a special education teacher.

In 2001, I had an opportunity to go back to school to work towards obtaining a Ph.D. in special education. During that time, my understanding of behavior broadened as I learned about the roles of adults and their contributions to the challenging behavior of children. I completed my Ph.D. in 2004. Currently, I am a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) and a Licensed Behavior Analyst in Alabama.

The opportunities and experiences of the past 20 years have far exceeded what that 10th grader imagined. Between the realization of the challenges parents and schools are facing and my own parenting journey, I have discovered that doing more to support adults as they help children is my greatest passion. Therefore, in 2024, after much prayer and consideration, Spero Behavioral Coaching and Supports was formed to provide this support.

If you would like to know more about my professional work, please click on the button to view my curriculum vita. Additionally, if you would like to learn about the meaning of the company name and logo, please click the button provided.