EP 242: Responsivity in Action: LEGO®-Based Interventions with Dr. Jerrod Brown

In this episode of The Criminologist Podcast, we welcome back Dr. Jerrod Brown for a fascinating conversation on LEGO®-based interventions with justice-involved populations. At first glance, LEGO® bricks may not seem like an obvious tool for probation, corrections, forensic mental health, or human services. But as Dr. Brown explains, structured LEGO®-based activities can provide a powerful, hands-on way to engage individuals who may struggle with traditional talk-based interventions. This conversation explores the intersection of neurodisability, responsivity, trauma-informed practice, and skill development. Many justice-involved individuals experience challenges related to fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury, autism-related needs, dyslexia, learning disabilities, attention, memory, executive functioning, communication, emotional regulation, and social problem-solving. When these realities are missed, professionals may misinterpret confusion as resistance, poor memory as dishonesty, difficulty following instructions as defiance, or emotional dysregulation as simply “bad behavior.” Dr. Brown helps us think differently. LEGO®-based interventions can offer a structured, non-threatening, and highly practical way to help individuals build and practice skills such as: communication cooperation problem-solving emotional regulation perspective-taking frustration tolerance planning and sequencing following directions teamwork confidence and mastery For professionals grounded in the Risk-Need-Responsivity framework, this episode is especially relevant. Risk tells us who to prioritize. Need tells us what to target. But responsivity reminds us that how we deliver interventions matters deeply. If the intervention does not fit the learner, we should not be surprised when the intervention does not stick. This episode challenges us to consider how hands-on, visual, structured, and experiential approaches may help make evidence-informed practice more accessible for the people we serve. A huge thank you to Dr. Jerrod Brown for joining the podcast once again and for continuing to push our field to think more carefully, creatively, and compassionately about effective intervention. For additional questions, Dr. Brown can be reached at: [email protected] Thanks for listening to The Criminologist Podcast. And always remember, There’s no them...There’s only us.