By Gordon Bourland

For many years I have been an ardent basketball fan. In addition to watching games, I enjoyed playing basketball. I never was very good. I was better at the rebounding and defensive parts of the game than at ball handling and scoring. Nevertheless, eventually, after reaching my full height of well over six feet (just shy of two meters), I achieved one of my youthful dreams by dunking a basketball- jumping and extending my arm high enough that my hand was above the basket and was able to “push” the ball through the net from above! That was glorious!! Alas, years after achieving the marvelous feat of dunking a basketball, in a pickup game I discovered that now only my fingertips extended above the basket. I realized with nostalgia and some sadness, “I can’t dunk anymore!” 

So what? Dunking or not dunking never affected my ability to support myself or my family and had vanishingly little impact on my social life or career. Why even consider for more than a millisecond the fact of the change in my dunking ability? As I entered my 70s, I have had to acknowledge that some of the things that I used to do are no longer possible (such as dunking a basketball) and others I can still manage but with less vigor or efficiency than before. For example, hoisting my grandchildren above my head, and not just because they’ve grown, quickly rising from a low chair, mowing the yard in one fell-swoop without tiring, or easily reading fine print on certain documents.

Again, “so what?” Recognizing some of these changes initially made me a bit sad and regretful regarding not being able to do some activities as readily and easily as I had in the past. Realizing that additional such changes might continue occurring could be very discouraging, possibly leading to becomebecoming a habitually negative, cynical person. That’s not how I want to live!    

So how might I behave in a way that is not negative and cynical while continuing to age and to see additional physical changes? First, I decided to acknowledge my disappointment about no longer being able to do things I once enjoyed doing or regarding having decreased physical abilities in general. I decided then at that point to be grateful for what I formerly was able to do. Dunking a basketball was exhilarating, and I am glad that I once could do that. Nevertheless, I am disappointed that I no longer can have that experience. (On the other hand, there is little demand for a 75-year-old power forward!) In some instances, compensation for the changes can occur (e.g., wearing more ‘powerful” glasses, using large print on my computer; allowing more time between scheduled events so that I don’t have to be concerned about needing more time to move about).

Additionally, I have explored alternative enjoyable activities that I can do instead of playing basketball (e.g., leisurely hiking). Further, I am doing my best to promote good health and physical abilities by staying physically active, regularly spending time with friends and family that I love (avoiding isolation), being careful with my diet, trying to be smart about how I do physical tasks (such as allowing myself to mow only half of the yard before taking a break), listening to my spouse regarding things I should not do (e.g., no more climbing on the roof to clean leaves from the gutters then jumping off from one-story up, no more reckless snow skiing), and staying busy intellectually (e.g., reading interesting books, writing professional papers, possibly evening writing the occasional blog post). 

So, are there some take-home messages from all this? For behavior analysts, some suggestions include: 

• • Consider each person as a unique individual  

• • While aging brings common experiences, every senior is unique. Interests, physical abilities, health conditions, behavioral repertoires and life histories all vary – and changes at different rates! NEVER lose sight of this!   

• • Respect our life stage 

• • Seniors are not children and ABA services need to be tailored to their unique histories as well as their physical, social, financial and legal statuses (i.e. appropriate interventions for children will often not be a good fit for seniors) 

• • Behavior principles still apply  

• • Aging does not make behavior contingencies irrelevant. Reinforcement, motivation, and environmental influences remain key factors in supporting meaningful behavior change  

• • Encourage self-management strategies 

• • Consider encouraging the use of self-management procedures to promote independence such as behavioral contracts, premack principle applications, structured checklists or token systems to support physical activity, social engagement and other positive behaviours  

• • Not every challenge requires medical intervention  

• • While some situations may call for medical or pharmacological solutions (alone or in combination with behavioral support), many age-related difficulties can be effectively addressed with behavioral strategies  

• • Loss of reinforcers is common 

• • Aging often involves the loss of access to many reinforcers (e.g. due to changes in physical and sensory abilities as well as social and financial changes) 

• • Support Psychological Well-Being  

• • Seniors often need assistance in learning to accept and cope with their changing situations, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as well as Behavioral Activation Treatment could be helpful for many to assist with coping, emotional regulation, and maintaining engagement in meaningful activities  

• • Encourage safe, active lifestyles  

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  • Like everyone else, ABA services for seniors should promote their engagement in safe activities (no reckless skiing, but not just spending the day with little physical activity)

If you are a senior, here are some take-home messages: 

• • Stay active 

• • Keep moving, socializing, and engaging in activities that challenge your mind and body. 

• • Prioritize your health  

• • Do what you can to maintain your well-being. Small, consistent efforts matter. 

• • Express your preferences  

• • Speak up about what you enjoy and want to do, rather than letting others decide for you. 

• • Ask for help when needed 

• • Whether it’s physical assistance or support for emotional challenges, seeking help is a strength, not a weakness. 

• • Do what you love—at your pace 

• • Enjoy activities that bring you joy, but don’t overdo it. Balance is key. 

• • Acknowledge and adapt to change 

• • Aging brings shifts in ability, and that’s okay. Acceptance is part of a healthy aging process. 

• • Find new sources of enjoyment 

• • Don’t let yourself get stuck thinking about what you can’t do any more, feeling bad, friends and family members being ill or dying, 

Professional publications related to issues discussed (NOTE: they might not be explicitly behavior analytic): 

Importance of staying active: 

Shi, H., Hu, F. B., Huang, T., Schernhammer, E. S., Willett, W. C., Sun, Q., & Wang, M. (2024). Sedentary Behaviors, Light-Intensity Physical Activity, and Healthy Aging. JAMA Network Open, 7(6), e2416300-e2416300. 

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Implementation Strategies for Older Adults. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2023 

Importance of interacting with other people: 

Gerlach LB, Solway ES, Malani PN. Social Isolation and Loneliness in Older Adults. JAMA. 2024;331(23):2058. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.3456 

Terracciano, A., Luchetti, M., Karakose, S., Stephan, Y., & Sutin, A. R. (2023). Loneliness and Risk of Parkinson Disease. JAMA neurology, 80(11), 1138-1144. 

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy 

Kanter, J. W., Baruch, D. E., & Gaynor, S. T. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy and behavioral activation for the treatment of depression: description and comparison. The Behavior analyst, 29(2), 161–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392129 

Behavioral activation: 

Kanter, J. W., Baruch, D. E., & Gaynor, S. T. (2006). Acceptance and commitment therapy and behavioral activation for the treatment of depression: description and comparison. The Behavior analyst, 29(2), 161–185. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03392129 

Lejuez, C. W., Hopko, D. R., Acierno, R., Daughters, S. B., & Pagoto, S. L. (2011). Ten Year Revision of the Brief Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression: Revised Treatment Manual. Behavior Modification, 35(2), 111-161. https://doi.org/10.1177/0145445510390929 

Martell, C. R., Dimidjian, S., & Herman-Dunn, R. (2021). Behavioral activation for depression: A clinician’s guide. Guilford Publications. 

© Gordon Bourland, 2025