Ableism in Applied Behavior Analysis: A Beginner’s Guide to Understanding and Dismantling Ableism in Practice with Autistic People
Ableism hides in our goals, graphs, and nicknames—audit one note today and swap the ableist bit for respectful, client-driven language.
01Research in Context
What this study did
McComas et al. (2025) wrote a how-to paper for BCBAs. They asked, "Where is ableism hiding in our everyday work with autistic clients?"
They list common ableist habits: calling a young learners "sweetie," writing goals that force quiet hands, or assuming talking is always better than typing.
What they found
The authors say ableism shows up in two ways. Overt: saying "low-functioning." Covert: writing a goal to end harmless stimming.
They give a starter checklist: swap person-first or identity-first language based on client choice, add sensory breaks before problem behavior occurs, and invite autistic voices to the treatment team.
How this fits with other research
Reid et al. (2018) beat them to the punch. That paper told us to treat adults with IDD as adults—ask consent, drop baby-talk. McComas widens the lens to autism and adds the word "ableism."
Hugh-Pennie et al. (2022) looks similar on paper—both fight bias—but they differ in focus. Hugh-Pennie targets racial bias in schools; McComas targets ability bias in clinics. Same toolbox, different -isms.
Marshall et al. (2023) found BCBAs are drifting toward non-ABA fads. McComas answers: stay with ABA, just strip out the ableist parts first.
Why it matters
You can start today. Open your last session note. If you wrote "non-compliant," change it to "declined prompt—plan to offer choices next trial." One word swap, less ableism, same data. Your autistic clients will feel the difference before the literature catches up.
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Join Free →Pick one goal on your caseload that targets harmless stimming; replace it with a sensory-regulation goal and share the edit with the team.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
Abstract Ableism is biased covert behavior or overtly discriminatory actions against people who are disabled. Ableism often involves words and actions that convey an attitude or belief that disabled people are inferior to nondisabled people, irrespective of whether the person holding these views (i.e., private events) is aware that their thoughts are biased or actions are discriminatory. All people have biases that have grown out of their exposure to harmful social norms, models, and observational learning as well as experiences and contingencies. As practitioners, administrators, instructors, and scientists, we are responsible for recognizing our own biases and actively working to alter our words and behavior so that our biases do not manifest in discrimination. This paper describes ableism and its impact on applied behavior analytic (ABA) practices, services, and supports and on the Autistic people we serve. The authors provide a brief discussion of the current efforts to reform ABA services and where they view anti-ableism is situated in the reform ABA movement. Then the bulk of the paper features examples of ableist practices and suggestions for dismantling ableism in ABA practice. Although these suggestions largely have not yet been submitted to empirical investigation, the general paucity of research in this area combined with the ethical directive to avoid discrimination requires practitioners to begin this work while empirical research is in its infancy. The companion article “Ableism in Applied Behavior Analysis: Historical Context of Services for Autistic People” (McComas et al., in press) provides a more in-depth exploration of the historical context of ableism in ABA.
Behavior Analysis in Practice, 2025 · doi:10.1007/s40617-025-01128-y